Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, indeed, both of our constituencies and much of northern and rural Canada share a real concern when it comes to the government's targeting of employment insurance. There is an absolute domino effect when people fear they will not be able to access EI while doing seaso

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to stand in the House to speak to the NDP opposition day motion, which truly serves to represent the many Canadians who are worried about their futures in so many sectors of our economy and communities across our country. Those Canadians are voicing tha

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I stand with petitions from thousands of Canadians, women and men, who have called on the government to oppose Motion No. 312 and recognize that it is about a woman's right to choose, a fundamental human right, a right that we as Canadians are proud to uphold. We cer

Justice  Mr. Speaker, despite promises from the Prime Minister to not reopen the abortion debate, today the House will vote on Motion No. 312 that does just that. New Democrats are the only party united to stand up to vote for women's equality. This is not a matter of conscience; it is a

Status of Women  Mr. Speaker, the New Democrats do not just say that we are pro-choice, we actually are. This is not an issue of conscience. It is an issue of women's rights and women's rights are human rights and they are not up for debate. The Supreme Court was clear decades ago. Canadians hav

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand to present petitions from thousands of Canadians, women and men, who are asking the government and all members to oppose Motion No. 312, which is a veiled attempt to reopen the abortion debate. The petitioners are asking the government to actually

Abortion  Mr. Speaker, today is the last day of debate on a Conservative motion that will reopen the abortion debate, even though this issue should no longer be up for debate. Canadian women fought for decades for the right to choose, for the right to have control over our own bodies. The

Abortion  Mr. Speaker, the debate is on today at 1:30 p.m. in this House. We in the NDP stand with the thousands of women and men across Canada who have connected with their members of Parliament to oppose this very motion. They are in disbelief that, in 2012, we are having this debate.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police  Mr. Speaker, as the member will have heard, I also referred to Bill C-42 and the important debate that took place in this House, including looking at the various aspects that are indeed raised by this bill. I certainly know that our critic on public safety has spoken to that as w

Royal Canadian Mounted Police  Mr. Speaker, I would also like to congratulate you on your appointment as Deputy Speaker. We are excited to have you in the chair, even at this late hour. I am also pleased to have the opportunity to raise what is a critical issue for so many Canadians. One of the paramount ne

Aboriginal Affairs  Mr. Speaker, let us call this what it really is: the government is trying to silence anybody who speaks out against the government's agenda. It has targeted first nations and Métis organizations that speak out on behalf of aboriginal people. In Manitoba, the federal government ha

Status of Women  Mr. Speaker, this week, members of Parliament will have a third honour of debate on Motion No. 312, the Conservative government's veiled attempt to reopen the abortion debate in Canada. We, the NDP, call on all members of the House, Conservative and Liberal, to vote with us, sta

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I would like to present two petitions. The first petition is in support of Katimavik, a critical program for our youth, and building understanding across our great country.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a second petition on behalf of Canadians who are opposed to Motion No. 312, a thinly veiled attempt to reopen the abortion debate. Many Canadians are hoping that not just government frontbenchers but backbenchers as well will stand up for a

Increasing Offenders' Accountability for Victims Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. Clearly, investing in prevention will result in lower crime rates. Research proves that. We know that when the government stops investing in programs for youth, in education and in opportunities for young people, for example, t