Libby speaks out against the health cuts in the budget

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Posted on 2012.06.12

Libby speaks out against the health cuts in the budget

House of Commons

HANSARD

June 12, 2012

Ms. Libby Davies (Vancouver East, NDP):  

Mr. Speaker, the NDP stands up for its principles against reckless Conservative budgets that leave Canadians behind.

In the last election, the Conservatives pledged to preserve health transfers and promised not to download costs to provinces but these promises have been broken.

Will the Conservatives abandon their plans to cut provincial health care transfers by $30 billion and instead sit down with the provinces and work out a solution?

Hon. Ted Menzies (Minister of State (Finance), CPC):

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has it exactly wrong.  We actually planned for increases to health care transfers of 6% going forward. We want to ensure that the increases we made to health care transfers every year from where we were at the beginning of our mandate continue out until 2017 and, to increase those. We put a floor in so they could not, after that, go below 3%.  I am not sure where that question came from but it certainly was not from fact.

Ms. Libby Davies (Vancouver East, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, the facts are that the Conservatives’ unilateral decision means $30 billion less in health transfers.

It is no wonder the Conservatives refuse to consult with Canadians on their Trojan Horse bill.

In NDP hearings, we heard witnesses paint a bleak picture of this budget. The CMA president warned about the health consequences of raising the OAS age, of cutting health transfers and refusing to move forward on a national pharmaceuticals strategy.

Why are the Conservatives downloading more costs onto the provinces instead of bringing forward a national pharmacare plan?

Federal AIDS funding rules change

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Federal AIDS funding rules change

Despite recent statistics showing HIV/AIDS on the rise in Canada, AIDS service organizations say the government has made it more difficult to access federal funds. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) released its guidelines for funding proposals for Canadian HIV/AIDS groups on Dec 2, giving groups just 28 days to make their cases for more federal funding. Funding criteria has also changed, and funding is now open to groups that had not received past monies. Applicants must now also include more information from partners, and the funding envelope is for two years instead of the usual four…NDP health critic Libby Davies says it’s disrespectful. “I hate to be cynical, but I feel like there is a pattern where for funding, they like to create this sense of uncertainty, and it creates almost a dependency, where people don’t dare speak out,” Davies says of the government.

The original article, Federal AIDS funding rules change was published on December 22, 2011 in Xtra News. Author(s): Dale Smith

Libby’s tribute to Robert R. Walsh, Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel

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Posted on 2011.12.15

Libby’s tribute to Robert R. Walsh, Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel

House of Commons
HANSARD
December 15, 2011

Ms. Libby Davies (Vancouver East, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise in the House on behalf of the NDP to pay tribute to one of Parliament’s most distinguished procedural officers, Robert R. Walsh. Since his appointment in 1999, Rob has carried out his duties as Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel with fortitude and expert knowledge.

I have had the honour to know Rob over the years and to appreciate his wisdom, integrity and fairness. We recall in particular, in 2009, his outstanding contribution to uphold the rights of MPs to disclosure of documents pertaining to Afghanistan detainees. He never wavered in providing advice and expert opinion to the House.

He has shown immense dedication to serve and support individual MPs. He has courageously defended the democratic mandate of this parliamentary institution, a true public servant in the most honourable sense.

I know I speak for members from all sides in giving sincerest thanks to Rob for his service to Canadian democracy, and wish him all the best in his retirement.

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