Wayne Marston

[Business of Supply, April 19th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Timmins—James Bay for his work and for his dedication to our first nations.

We heard previous speakers from the Liberal Party, and since the member is talking history, I would like to ask him a question regarding the Kelowna accord. It is my understanding that once the Kelowna accord was signed, the next budget did not have any funding in it at all to back up the promises that were made. That is the first question.

My second question is this. In the winter the member and I met with Chief Theresa Spence. We talked with her about the nation-to-nation view of discussions and respect and the importance of that approach.

I would like to have him speak to both issues, if he would.

[Employment Insurance, April 19th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, it is clear to anyone who is paying attention that the Conservative cuts to EI are totally inappropriate. Even the IMF, infamous for its austerity programs, reported this week that austerity is the wrong way for Canada to go and that the Conservative Government of Canada should be using EI to its full capacity.

Canada's rate of unemployment is up, and it is getting worse. Rather than giving the unemployed people of Canada a hand up, why is the Conservative government continually kicking them when they are down?

[Business of Supply, April 16th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, through you to my friend, I travelled with the finance committee and heard those reports, but the high-skilled jobs were supposed to be temporarily filled by foreign workers. When government turns to the folks in parts of our country like the east coast where they have seasonal work and tells them there is a labour market assessment, which permits temporary foreign workers in McDonald's or Tim Hortons, it is taking away the very jobs that the EI changes were trying to push the workers into. Therefore, the low-skilled jobs are not even there because of the mishandling of this.

In Canada there are 338,000 temporary foreign workers, more than the annual immigration rate to this country. The situation being created with that is pressure to push wages down.

[Business of Supply, April 16th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the finance committee, I travelled the country and heard some of the same things you are referring to, that there were some high-skilled jobs—

[Nuclear Terrorism Act, March 28th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I am curious specifically about the member's riding. Chalk River has spent nuclear fuel that it will be transporting back to the U.S. under an agreement we reached the last time Mr. Obama was here, I believe, or around that time. There have been concerns raised about the safety of transporting it like that and the risk of somebody trying to intervene and steal it.

As this is weapons-grade fuel, I am wondering what the reaction has been in the member's riding.

[Holocaust Remembrance Day, March 28th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, on April 8, New Democrats will join with people across Canada, in Israel and around the world commemorating Yom Hashoah, Holocaust remembrance day.

For 68 years, since the end of the Second World War, we have memorialized the victims of one of the darkest periods of history.

During Yom Hashoah, we remember those whose lives were so brutally taken during the Holocaust. They died solely because they were Jewish or Roma, disabled, or members of the gay and lesbian community. Each was a victim of Nazi hatred. Today we remember the survivors, women and men whose profound courage and example taught us that love and life are possible, even after facing the most unspeakable of horrors.

History tells us that those who promote bigotry for political advantage plant the very seeds for crimes against humanity. When we say “never again”, we must also pledge to ensure that the seeds of bigotry and hate are not allowed to grow ever again.

[Foreign Affairs, March 21st, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, international pressure continues to grow for an independent investigation into the very serious allegation of war crimes that were committed in the final days of the Sri Lankan civil war.

New Democrats have long called for just such an investigation and, yesterday, the United Nations Human Rights Council passed a resolution that, once again, underscores the need for accountability.

Today, Conservative senator Hugh Segal is in Sri Lanka.

So, to the minister, will the senator be pushing the Sri Lankan government for an immediate independent inquiry into those reprehensible actions during that civil war?

[Strengthening Military Justice in the Defence of Canada Act, March 21st, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I am going to prove that I am not as old as everyone thinks, because I can actually remember the question.

The important thing to consider is that we hear from the government side how much delay there has been, yet it has delayed repeatedly in the House today by interrupting speakers and questions. Who is doing the delaying?

Getting back to the commentary on the British system, the rights given their military personnel are exactly what Canadians believe we have already. If we were to go out on the street and talk to average Canadians, they would believe that we have that. The government would be wise to consider the approach of the British government in dealing with its military and in protecting its rights. Canadian soldiers, sailors and personnel deserve exactly the same rights as well, as their charter rights.

[Strengthening Military Justice in the Defence of Canada Act, March 21st, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the Parliament in Britain is our mother Parliament, in some sense of the word. The evolution of democracy, in another sense of the word, occurred--

[Strengthening Military Justice in the Defence of Canada Act, March 21st, 2013]

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I am aware that in Bill C-15 there were measures put in place that we agree with. We have already said that we agree with them. However, there are other aspects we are putting forward. To some it is repetitive, yes. Some people have similar comments, because our beliefs are similar.

We believe that the government has not gone far enough. We have had several reports over a number of years delivered to various governments. It is not the sole responsibility of the government. However, the onus has been on the government for the last eight years, and it has not responded. To take it a step further, one of the things that interfered with the delivery of previous bills was the prorogation of the House, which was done by the government.