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Libby's Open Letter to a Minister

Air Canada outsourcing - a joint letter from the federal NDP BC Caucus
March 3, 2010

Libby and her BC colleagues sent the following letter to Transport Minister John Baird
March 3, 2010

The Hon. John Baird, P.C. M.P.
Minister for Transport
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

Dear Minister Baird,

In your January 12, 2010 letter in response to our colleague Bill Siksay and co-signatories regarding the future of Air Canada and its employees, you recognized the strategic importance of Canada’s air transportation system, of which Air Canada constitutes a critical component.

In addition to referring to the federal government’s role in helping ensure the financial viability of Air Canada, you highlighted Air Canada`s role in connecting Canadians from coast to coast to coast and beyond.

A key component of maintaining the integrity of Canada’s transportation system is ensuring that a critical mass of technical and maintenance aviation servicing expertise remains in Canada. This is, of course, in addition to safety and security concerns.

Regrettably, in spite of Air Canada receiving federal funding support, Air Canada’s management has been relentlessly outsourcing the servicing and maintenance of its aircraft in low-cost developing countries. This is an issue that we have raised many times in the House, and at committee as well as in previous correspondence with your department.

Sisters in Spirit funding at risk
February 18, 2010

February 18, 2010

Helena Guergis
Minister of State Status of Women
733 Confederation Building
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

Dear Minister Guergis,

I write to urge you to commit to renewed funding for the Sisters in Spirit initiative of the Native Women's Association of Canada, without delay.

As the Minister of State for the Status of Women you have repeatedly praised the Sister in Spirit initiative in the House of Commons as being a “great research project...extremely successful in raising awareness to the issue of violence against aboriginal women and girls.” As recently as December 2009, the Secretary of State for the Status of Women described the initiative as the “groundwork,” from which to “attack the root causes of violence against aboriginal women and girls.”

Libby Speaking out on Medical Marijuana - Health Canada Must Consult With Stakeholders
February 4, 2010

Hon. Leona Aglukkaq
Minister of Health
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

Dear Minister Aglukkaq,

Thank you for your August 2009 letter in response to my call for a full public review of the Canada’s Marijuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR).

In your letter, you outline your plan to amend the MMAR to address the Supreme Court of Canada’s ruling that Paragraph 41 (b.1) violates the Charter or Rights and Freedoms and “unjustifiably limits the ability” of authorized patients to access medical marijuana. You also mention the need to examine regulations concerning the use of medical marijuana in public.

A calll for action on UN Human Rights Day
December 11, 2009

Libby sent the following message to the Japanese government:

December 10, 2009

To Whom it May Concern,

I urge the Japanese Prime Minister to acknowledge, apologize and appropriately compensate the Korean, Chinese and Filipino women who were forced into prostitution during WWII. I further urge your government to implement measures for investigation and disclosure of the history; inclusion in textbooks; erection of monuments; and punishment of criminals involved in this tragedy.

Libby Davies, Member of Parliament
Government of Canada
Vancouver East

Libby calls on Ministers for a public inquiry
December 10, 2009

The Honourable Peter Van Loan
Minister of Public Safety
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

The Honourable Michael de Jong
Attorney General of British Columbia
Parliament Buildings
Victoria, BC V8V 1X4

Dear Ministers Van Loan and De Jong,

I write once again to express my full support for a public inquiry into the actions of the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in the investigation of Vancouver’s missing women.

I first raised this issue in Parliament in 2001, calling for an inquiry into police actions, and for the federal government to work with all levels of law enforcement to stop the disappearance of so many women from the Downtown Eastside.

Today, questions remain about the police investigations and why it took so long for a special task force to be put together, whether there was negligence and wrong doing by law enforcement officials in carrying out their duties, and what crucial lessons must be carried forward.

I commend the diligence, perseverance, and courage of Ms. Maggie de Vries in her struggle for justice for her sister, and I am encouraged by the recent news that Police Chief Jim Chu and Deputy Chief Doug LePard now support a public inquiry.

It is critically important to recognize that there are many women in the Downtown Eastside who are still at risk daily, due to neglect, stigmatization and the failure of governments to act. I therefore also urge the government of British Columbia and City of Vancouver to act swiftly to make public the recommendations and findings of the internal investigation by the Vancouver Police Department.

Sincerely,

Libby Davies, MP

Libby calls on Justice Minister to stop extradition of Marc Emery
October 2, 2009

September 28, 2009

The Honourable Rob Nicholson
Minister of Justice
105 East Block
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6

Dear Minister Nicholson,

I write once again to ask that you stop the extradition of Canadian Marc Emery to the United States and allow him to serve his prison sentence in Canada.

Canadian law enforcement officials have for a decade ignored Mr. Emery’s well publicized activities. I have expressed to you on many occasions my vehement opposition to sending Mr. Emery or any Canadian to face harsh punishment in another country when we have agreed as a society that these actions are not worthy of prosecution in Canada. Yet, your government has refused to intervene on Mr. Emery’s behalf and he will now serve a five year prison term in the United States.

Fairness for students with disabilities
September 3, 2009

Hon. Diane Finley
Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6

Dear Minister,

In Budget 2008 your government made a series of changes to student financial assistance programs including Canada Student Grants. These changes recently came into effect this fall with some distressing consequences for students with disabilities in Vancouver East.

In previous years, students with disabilities in BC were asked to project their expected sources of income and expenses for the coming school term and the Canada Study and Canada Access Grants were allocated based on these projections.

NDP MPs URGE HALT TO IRAQ WAR RESISTER DEPORTATION
July 12, 2009

OTTAWA
12 August 2009

The Honourable Jason Kenney, PC MP
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration,
The Honourable Peter Van Loan, PC MP
Minister of Public Safety,
House of Commons
OTTAWA ON K1A 0A6

Dear Ministers,

We are writing with regard to impending removal from Canada of Rodney Watson. Mr. Watson is an Iraq war resister who has made a refugee claim in Canada. As you know, Canada refused to participate in the war in Iraq which many Canadians believe to be an illegal war.

We would strongly urge you to immediately intervene to cease all deportation action against Mr. Watson and to allow him to remain in Canada.

In doing so, we would again draw your attention to the concurrence motions passed in both the 39th and 40th Parliaments which called on the government to establish a specific programme for war resisters who seek asylum and permanent residence in Canada.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. We look forward to your early reply.

Sincerely yours,

Bill Siksay MP
Burnaby-Douglas

On behalf of:
Libby Davies MP Don Davies MP
Vancouver East Vancouver Kingsway

Peter Julian MP Alex Atamanenko MP
Burnaby-New Westminster British Columbia Southern Interior

Jean Crowder MP Denise Savoie MP
Nanaimo Cowichan Victoria

Libby calls for a public review of Canada's Medical Marijuana Program
April 23, 2009

Hon. Leona Aglukkaq
Minister of Health
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

Dear Minister Aglukkaq,

In March, your Conservative colleague, MP Larry Miller, raised the issue of medical marijuana in the House of Commons. Mr. Miller expressed concerned about the use of medical marijuana in public. Canada’s Medical Marijuana Access Regulation (MMRA) program is plagued with problems, one of which is ensuring the respect for users of medical marijuana when deciding where they may be allowed to take their prescribed medication.

British MP denied entry into Canada
March 20, 2009

Honourable Jason Kenny
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

Dear Minister,

I have just learned that you have denied entry into Canada for British Member of Parliament, George Galloway, for his planned speaking tour of Canada. This seems unbelievable - even for the Conservative Government - but apparently this is the case, based on "security reasons" that your office will not disclose.

I find it reprehensible and outrageous that you would suppress this well know MP from coming to Canada to speak, for what can only be determined as purely partisan, political reasons by the Canadian government. That Mr. Galloway is outspoken on his views concerning the Middle East is not new, nor should it be of any concern to warrant this kind of action from the Canadian Government.