Who should pay the cost of visiting dignitaries?

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Who should pay the cost of visiting dignitaries?

Keeping George W. Bush safe on the Canadian speaking circuit is on track to cost the RCMP more than half-a-million dollars this year, as taxpayers foot the bill regardless of whether they buy a ticket to any of the former U.S. president's exclusive events. Mr. Bush is following the lucrative path of his predecessor, Bill Clinton, making big money as a speaker-for-hire with regular stops in Canada. But as Mr. Bush prepares for three Canadian speeches next month, new figures show there's a big difference between a Bush speech and a Clinton speech when it comes to the public purse.

The original article, Tab for Mounties to protect Bush was published on September 25, 2009 in Globe and Mail. Author(s): Bill Curry

Libby speaking out for female ski jumpers – Libby Davies

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Libby speaking out for female ski jumpers

Two Lower Mainland MPs are calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to personally intervene to resolve a dispute over the exclusion of female ski jumpers at next month’s Winter Olympics. Liberal Joyce Murray (Vancouver Quadra) and New Democrat Libby Davies (Vancouver East) want the PM to contact International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge and find a solution enabling Olympic organizers to host a female competition next month.

The original article, 2 opposition MPs urge PM to insist that Olympics include female ski jumpers was published on January 5, 2010 in The Vancouver Sun. Author(s): Barbara Yaffe

Libby holding Harper to account – Libby Davies

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Libby holding Harper to account

As the NDP House leader, lesbian MP Libby Davies is in charge of her party’s day-to-day business in the Commons. The trouble is, it’s difficult to do that job when you’re effectively shut out of work for two months. On Dec 30, Prime Minister Stephen Harper phoned the Governor General to request prorogation — ending the current session of Parliament — with an eye to a new throne speech on Mar 3 and a budget speech the following day.

The original article, Libby Davies on prorogation: “We’re not going to let Stephen Harper off the hook” was published on January 4, 2010 in Xtra.ca. Author(s): Dale Smith

K’naan presses MPs to help world’s poor as generic-drug vote looms

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K’naan presses MPs to help world’s poor as generic-drug vote looms

OTTAWA – K’naan, the Juno Award-winning musician whose song Wavin’ Flag was Coca Cola’s anthem for the 2010 World Cup, will be on Parliament Hill on Wednesday to urge MPs to pass Bill C-393. He will be joined by Stephen Lewis, the former United Nations special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, and James Orbinski, the founder of Dignitas International, a medical humanitarian organization…Bill C-393 was introduced by now-retired MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis but was essentially orphaned when she left federal politics to take a run at the Winnipeg mayor’s job. All bills need sponsors as they move through the various stages of debate and, if the Conservatives – who oppose the legislation – had refused to let it change hands, it eventually would have died. NDP House Leader Libby Davies persuaded the other parties earlier this year to allow her NDP colleague Paul Dewar to be recognized as the bill’s new sponsor, a move that kept it alive.

The original article, K’naan presses MPs to help world’s poor as generic-drug vote looms was published on March 8, 2011 in The Globe and Mail. Author(s): Gloria Galloway

Libby asks the Conservative government why they broke their health care promises

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Posted on 2012.03.29

Libby asks the Conservative government why they broke their health care promises

House of Commons

HANSARD

March 28, 2012

 

Ms. Libby Davies (Vancouver East, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives promised more jobs. Instead, they are slashing vital services like medicare. Five million Canadians do not even have access to a family doctor.

The Prime Minister made a single health care promise in the last election: to protect federal transfers. Yet, it took him just eight months to break that promise. Why should Canadians trust a Prime Minister who cannot even keep such a basic promise?

Why is he turning his back on Canada’s most cherished institution? Why is he abandoning medicare?

 

Hon. Leona Aglukkaq (Minister of Health and Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, CPC):

Mr. Speaker, we have announced a long-term stable funding arrangement with the provinces and the territories. The transfers will reach an historic level of $40 billion by the end of the decade. My goal is to ensure that Canada’s health system is more sustainable and accountable to Canadians. Let me just list a few things that the NDP voted against in the last budget: significant funding to assist the homeless, mental health program funding that would increase health infrastructure for first nations, funding to help treat and prevent those with drug addictions–

 

Ms. Libby Davies (Vancouver East, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised Canadians that he would protect health care, but now he is ready to slash it. The Conservative plan short-changes provinces by a whopping $31 billion.

It forces cash-strapped provinces to gut front-line health care services.

Who pays the price? Seniors who will not be able to live with dignity and comfort and anxious parents who will not be able to find a doctor to see their sick children.

Why is the Prime Minister turning his back on his promise to protect health care services?

Libby takes up the torch for the 2010 Homelessness Hunger Strike Relay – Libby Davies

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Libby takes up the torch for the 2010 Homelessness Hunger Strike Relay

A group pushing Ottawa to establish a national housing plan to help the homeless yesterday gathered to mark a year of weekly rotating hunger strikes by dozens of supporters. Davies, a Vancouver MP, and Vancouver city councillor Ellen Woodsworth are both expected to be among those who will go without food for a week leading up to the end of the protest in June. A small group gathered at the Vancouver Art Gallery to share a cake and continue their push for more affordable housing, said organizer Am Johal. “Within weeks, Parliament will be debating a private member’s bill for a national housing plan put forward by MP Libby Davies,” he said.

The original article, Group’s hunger strike presses on in push for national housing plan was published on December 30, 2009 in The Province. Author(s): Susan Lazaruk

Libby speaking out against prorogation

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Libby speaking out against prorogation

The Conservative government has shut down Parliament for two months, until after the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Prime Minister Stephen Harper telephoned Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean on Wednesday to ask her permission to end the parliamentary session. Jean signed the proclamation later that day, granting his request. The move triggered immediate condemnation from opposition MPs who labelled the Conservative government's move an "almost despotic" attempt to muzzle parliamentarians amid controversy over the Afghan detainees affair…..NDP House Leader Libby Davies said she was "appalled" by Harper's decision and accused the prime minister of "running from" opposition demands for a public inquiry into what and when the government knew about allegations of torture of detainees transferred into Afghan custody by Canadian soldiers in 2006. "By proroguing Parliament, he is unilaterally making a decision to stop any kind of disclosure from happening," Davies told CBC News from Vancouver.

The original article, PM shuts down Parliament until March was published on December 30, 2009 in CBC.ca. Author(s): The Canadian Press

Members of Parliament urge Ministers to halt deportation

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Posted on 2009.06.2

Members of Parliament urge Ministers to halt deportation

OTTAWA – Today, 23 Members of Parliament co-signed a letter to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney and Minister of Public Safety Peter Van Loan urging them to halt the deportation order of Mikhail Lennikov to Russia.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Liberal, Bloc Québécois and New Democrat MPs spoke about the urgency of stopping the deportation order, currently set for tomorrow, June 3rd, 2009.

Mr. Lennikov, who has been living and working in Canada for more than 11 years, is being denied permanent residence status because of a position working briefly with the KGB in the 1980’s. The Lennikovs have never been accused of any crime.

“This deportation order will tear this family apart only days after Mr. Lennikov’s son graduates from high school,” said their New Democrat MP Peter Julian (Burnaby-New Westminster). “The Lennikovs have made an invaluable contribution to the community and there are precedents for granting residence to Mr. Lennikov. It’s not too late to do the right thing.”

All MPs asked the Ministers of Citizenship and Immigration and Public Safety to use their discretion and provide ministerial relief to end the deportation order.

The government already renewed the permits for the family to stay in Canada a half a dozen times.

While Irina and Dmitri’s application of permanent residency has been approved in principle, Citizenship and Immigration Canada has so far refused to waive the deportation order for Mr. Lennikov.

The following MPs have signed the appeal:

Niki Ashton, MP (Churchill) Peter Julian, MP (Burnaby-New Westminster)
Malcolm Allen, MP (Welland) Francine Lalonde, MP (La Pointe-de-l’Île)
Alex Atamanenko, MP (BC-Southern Interior) Megan Leslie, MP (Halifax)
Olivia Chow, MP (Trinity-Spadina) Tony Martin, MP (Sault St. Marie)
Jean Crowder, MP (Nanaimo-Cowichan) Irene Mathyssen, MP (London-Fanshawe)
Nathan Cullen, MP (Skeena-Bulkley Valley) John Rafferty, MP (Thunder Bay-Rainy River)
Don Davies, MP (Vancouver Kingsway) Pablo Rodriguez, MP (Honoré-Mercier)
Libby Davies, MP (Vancouver East)
Bill Siksay, MP (Burnaby-Douglas)
Paul Dewar, MP (Ottawa Centre) Judy Wasylycia-Leis, MP (Winnipeg North)
Sukh Dhaliwal, MP (Newton-Delta North)
Ujjal Dosanjh, MP (Vancouver South)
Linda Duncan, MP (Edmonton Strathcona)
Jack Harris, MP (St. John’s East)
Bruce Hyer, MP (Thunder Bay—Superior-North)

– 30 –

For more information, please contact:
Office of Peter Julian: (613) 222.4074

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