Public Safety  Mr. Speaker, Conservative cuts are forcing the RCMP to make impossible choices when it comes to protecting public safety. Faced with the skyrocketing resource demands of counterterrorism, the RCMP is dismantling Project Condor, its very successful program for finding offenders un

Public Safety  Mr. Speaker, internal RCMP documents obtained under access to information show that the RCMP timed the release of the video made by the Ottawa shooter on October 22 so that it would not overshadow public hearings on Bill C-51. A Friday release was recommended because “...attent

The Environment  Mr Speaker, once again I rise to draw attention to the failings of the Conservatives when it comes to the west coast water protection. When I first began working on water issues in the late 1980s, as the executive director of the Pacific Peoples' Partnership, one of our concern

Public Safety  Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives like to talk tough on crime, but the reality is that their cuts to rehabilitation programs are actually putting communities at risk. Volunteers who help with programs like Circles of Support and Accountability to ensure that offenders are safely rei

Public Safety  Mr. Speaker, speaking of victims of crime, sexual assault is a devastating crime and one of the most difficult to prosecute. Survivors deserve to be treated with the utmost respect and dignity. However, the DNA collection kits provided by the RCMP are badly out of date. They oft

Canada Shipping Act, 2001  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise to speak in favour of Bill C-638, an act to amend the Canada Shipping Act. I want to express my thanks to the member for Nanaimo—Cowichan for her work on the problem of derelict vessels. This is a particular problem around Vancouver Island and in

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to table two petitions. The first is a petition on fair electoral representation, which has been signed by literally dozens of ordinary Canadians in my riding and the neighbouring riding of Victoria. It calls to abandon our winner take all first past

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, the second petition calls on the Government of Canada to bring in an action plan to protect the southern resident killer whales, in support of my Motion No. 460. This has been signed by dozens of ordinary Canadians who are drawing attention to the fact that more tha

Public Safety  Mr. Speaker, today New Democrats are joining over 100,000 Canadians who are calling on Liberals and Conservatives to do the right thing and stop Bill C-51. Tonight this House will take a final vote on this dangerous bill. It is the last chance for Liberal and Conservative membe

Public Safety  Mr. Speaker, across the country we are seeing an increase in post-traumatic stress disorder and suicides among police, firefighters and paramedics. Seventeen first responders have taken their lives so far in 2015. Canadians depend on these people to keep us safe and, in return, w

Anti-terrorism Act, 2015  Mr. Speaker, the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands is quite right about former justice John Major. As I mentioned in my speech, the minister has only quoted part of what he had to say. What he had to say was what we continue to say: not only does the bill threaten civil liberties,

Anti-terrorism Act, 2015  Mr. Speaker, the minister likes to say we should support the budget because it would provide more money for national security. When in fact, after cutting more than $300 million from the budget last year, Conservatives would put back $57 million, it is some kind of new math to th

Anti-terrorism Act, 2015  Mr. Speaker, one of the things I have learned from the minister is to watch his partial quoting of witnesses and members of Parliament. It is very clear that he is back to the same thing he tried in the beginning, to say that the NDP does not take terrorism seriously. Once again

Anti-terrorism Act, 2015  Mr. Speaker, I have already said, as I have done many times both in committee and here, that I cannot understand the Liberal Party's position, because it speaks against the bill but is voting for it. It simply makes no sense to me. The other part of the Liberal promise, to fix t

Anti-terrorism Act, 2015  Mr. Speaker, I guess the simple answer is no. I do not think we trade off security and civil liberties. The government's responsibility is to protect both at the same time. Do I support this bill? No, the amendment is trying to prevent this from going forward. This bill is so se