Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, these closures are happening right now. Services are being cut to Coast Guard stations, lighthouses and command centres. The minister cannot deny that these are short-sighted and reckless cuts that will put Canadians at risk on the water. It looks like the Conserva

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I am very pleased today to rise and add my voice to those who call for an official apology for the Komagata Maru incident and to begin on real reconciliation among all Canadians as a result of this tragic incident in our past. At the same time I want to acknowled

RCMP  Mr. Speaker, week after week, there are more and more revelations about sexual harassment in the RCMP. Despite the fact that federal ministers have a clear responsibility to show leadership to address this very real problem, successive governments have turned a blind eye. The c

Mailing of Human Remains  Mr. Speaker, Canadians were horrified to hear of the senseless and cowardly mailing of human remains to Conservative Party headquarters, and the interception of a second package at Canada Post's Ottawa sorting centre. Our sympathies go out to the staff at the Conservative Party

Canadian Human Rights Act  Mr. Speaker, I rise to close second reading debate on Bill C-279 with a great deal of optimism. In the brief time I have available, I will not try to review all the arguments in favour of the bill. One reason is that this is essentially the same bill that passed in the House in

Pooled Registered Pension Plans Act  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to Bill C-25 at third reading. I am very happy to do so. I know that all members in the House share the common goal of making sure that all Canadians have security in their retirement. However, I am rising to speak against the pooled registered

Pooled Registered Pension Plans Act  Mr. Speaker, my point was that being forced to contribute to a pooled pension plan, which is risky and would have no defined pension at the end of it, is the problem. When people contribute to the Canada pension plan, they have a defined benefit and the risks are shared out over

Pooled Registered Pension Plans Act  Mr. Speaker, I note that the Liberals have 20/20 hindsight and vision back to the things they accomplished many years ago. I just wish they had the same foresight at this time. In supporting the pooled retirement savings plan, a big mistake is being made in terms of public polic

Gender Equality  Mr. Speaker, last night was an historic occasion for Canada, the LGBTQ community and transgender, transsexual and gender variant Canadians. I want to thank the 150 members of Parliament who voted in favour of my legislation on gender identity and gender expression as members fro

Justice  Mr. Speaker, it is the Internet that is quickly becoming a haven for all sorts of anonymous hateful acts. Gay and lesbian teens have been bullied to the point of suicide. Islamophobia and anti-Semitism are rampant online, with neo-Nazi groups continuing to spread hate. In 2010 al

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands for her speech in defence of democracy and the environment. It was interesting to hear the hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance saying that the government had been working on these ideas for destroying e

Public Safety  Mr. Speaker, from dismantling fisheries protection to gutting public safety oversight, the Conservatives are still pressing ahead in their attempt to sneak through major changes disguised as a budget implementation bill. For example, clause 378 would delete the Office of the Insp

Civil Marriage Act  moved for leave to introduce Bill C-435, An Act to amend the Civil Marriage Act (divorce and corollary relief). Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a private member's bill entitled an act to amend the Civil Marriage Act (divorce and corollary relief). Members will know th

Privacy  Mr. Speaker, quietly and without telling Canadians, Canada Border Services Agency has installed new surveillance equipment to eavesdrop on travellers in airports across the country. The Conservatives did this without even consulting the Privacy Commissioner, which they are requir

CANADA-PANAMA ECONOMIC GROWTH AND PROSPERITY ACT  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to Bill C-24,, an act to implement the Canada-Panama free trade agreement. It will be of no surprise to those in this House that I will be speaking against this agreement because of my strong concerns about the impact of free trade agreements th