Economic Action Plan 2013 Act No. 2  Mr. Speaker, the only myth in Canadian politics is that the Conservatives are good money managers. The two largest deficits in Canadian history were under the Conservatives: Michael Wilson in the eighties and now the current finance minister just a few years ago. The debt of our

International Trade  Mr. Speaker, trans-Pacific partnership negotiations are ongoing, but the intellectual property chapter has recently been leaked to the public. We now know that countries, including the U.S., Australia and Japan, are pushing aggressively for measures that would restrict open acces

International Trade  Mr. Speaker, in the United States, lawmakers of both parties are being allowed to read the actual TPP negotiating text. However, in Canada, parliamentarians have to rely on WikiLeaks for information. Accountability and transparency are not just words; they are essential, and Cana

Safeguarding Canada's Seas and Skies Act  Mr. Speaker, part of the good work of an opposition is not only to oppose government policy and legislation where it needs to be opposed, but also to work with the government sometimes to improve legislation that may be well intentioned but could use improvement. Bill C-3 is an e

Respect for Communities Act  Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to stand in the House today to speak to this issue. It is a very important one, not only for the people of our country but in particular for the community that I represent in Vancouver Kingsway, and in Vancouver. In many ways, the bill before us ca

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand in the House to introduce a petition signed by many people in Vancouver, including from Vancouver Kingsway, who are calling upon the Canadian government, and all governments, to negotiate a treaty banning nuclear weapons and leading to their compl

Economic Action Plan 2013 Act No. 2  Mr. Speaker, the official opposition, New Democrats, are strong supporters of a well-funded and effective EI system that can deliver quickly the benefits that employees and employers have paid into. My friend opposite is quite right that the money that is paid into the EI system

International Trade  Mr. Speaker, if my hon. friends in the Conservative government listens to what the official opposition is saying, they would hear that we, in fact, are exactly open-minded. As for our position, once again stated for them, it is that we are optimistic and are willing to sign and s

International Trade  Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise and speak on behalf of the official opposition New Democrats about the important news recently of the tentative agreement reached between Canada and the European Union regarding a comprehensive economic and trade agreement. There has been a

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, approximately 75% of the world's mining and exploration companies are registered in Canada. Various indigenous and non-indigenous communities, both in Canada and abroad, have raised serious concerns regarding the impact of mining activities in their communities, inc

International Trade  Mr. Speaker, New Democrats are proud to stand up for Canadian jobs, and do you know who praised the NDP's balanced approach to trade? It was the employment minister. Perhaps he could brief the Prime Minister. As with any agreement, we can only judge its value by its details. Lik

International Trade  Mr. Speaker, New Democrats support negotiations with Europe, but Conservative incompetence is stunning. The first rule of negotiating is to never convey that one is desperate for a deal, and yet that is exactly what the Prime Minister is conveying to the EU. Panicking to get a

Tackling Contraband Tobacco Act  Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Conservatives for bringing in measures to deal with contraband tobacco. That is a positive thing. When I was first elected in 2008, this issue was being discussed. When I was a member of the public safety committee in 2009, we had a

International Trade  Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we will judge that deal based on competence. All we are seeing from the government is incompetence on the trade file. We want to see a trade deal with Europe, but in any negotiations, desperation is a bad adviser, and the Conservatives' ba

Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1  Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I am not sure of the procedure here either, but do members not have to be in their own seats in order to cast their vote, even on a voice vote?