Member of Parliament 1997-2015, Public speaker, writer, community activist
MIRAMICHI, N.B. — Prime Minister Stephen Harper vowed Friday to stay his government’s economic course despite “bad news” such as the layoff last month of 129,000 Canadians. Speaking in a Miramichi hockey rink, Harper said his government won’t change its approach to solving the current economic crisis.
The week goes so fast in Ottawa; I can barely remember all that happened. It’s a blur of activity, seriously. As House Leader for the NDP I have particular responsibilities and I seem to dash from place to place, trying to stay on top of what’s happening on the Hill. This week, the focus has still been on the Conservative budget and we’ve put our efforts to exposing the underwhelming impact it has. With 1.3 million Canadians who have lost their jobs, clearly the Conservative budget is out of touch – whether its lack of EI eligibility, or strict rules that inhibit the flow of dollars for badly needed infrastructure projects. One interesting question is how the budget really lets down women. No childcare, less access to EI, elimination of pay equity complaints thru the courts, and no social housing for families. I asked a Question in the House on Friday and went after these issues. Keeping the pressure up is key.
OTTAWA–Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government faces mounting demands to improve support for the jobless in the wake of the shocking increase in layoffs in Ontario and across the country. Opposition parties accused Harper of mismanaging the economy and leaving the growing pool of unemployed to suffer without adequate help.
Dear friends,
The following statement from MP Alexandre Boulerice, the NDP’s Labour critic, says very well, why Bill C-377 is such a bad bill, both in its construction and intent. There is no other way to look at, other than an attack on labour. Alexandre’s fought very hard in the Committee to stop the Bill. The Conservative majority gave it a green light. Rest assured we will closely monitor this Bill (it has yet to pass through the Senate). We will also be vigilant to work and organise against other similar initiatives.
Libby
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 13, 2012
Last night, the Conservative government supported Bill C-377 from a backbencher MP, whose hidden objective is to weaken the labour movement.
According to the NDP, as well as the privacy commissioner of Canada, this bill goes too far. The NDP says it goes against the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and will be defeated by the courts because it violates freedom of association and the private lives of those who work for a union.
Bill C-377 will also be very costly for Canadians and require a lot of bureaucracy. The parliamentary budget officer estimates that it will cost much more than the 2.4 million dollars allocated by the Canada Revenue Agency.
The Conservatives claim they are acting in the name of transparency, but fail to mention that unions are already required to make their financial information available to their members.
This bill will result in an imbalance and benefit companies which will be able to gain access to unions’ financial information and use it to their advantage.
The NDP will always encourage transparency, but opposes the Conservatives’ disguised attempt to attack the rights of unions and interfere in labour relations.
Ottawa- Libby Davies (MP Vancouver East) welcomes the BC Supreme Court decision that Canada’s Medical Marijuana Access Regulations are unconstitutional, and called on Ottawa today to scrap the existing regulations and implement a fair and accessible medical marijuana program.
“The medical marijuana program is overly bureaucratic and costly for users, and simply does not serve the needs of cannabis patients,” said Davies.
Hundreds of eligible clients of Canada’s program opt out after a short time because of prohibitive costs, leaving them with no alternative but to use private sellers, which is often illegal.
Libby Davies has long called for a federal audit of the program, which turns a profit for Health Canada. As recently as June, Davies wrote the Minister of Health demanding a public review of the flawed program, pointing out, among other problems, that doctors are reluctant to enroll patients in the program because of the high costs and poor quality of the cannabis the government supplies.
The Federal Court and other provincial courts have also found the current program to be too burdensome for patients needing the drug.
“Users of medical marijuana need to be treated with respect and dignity,” said Davies. “Ottawa must get on with the job of working with all stakeholders to develop and implement a program that meets the needs of its users.”
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Ottawa- Libby Davies (MP Vancouver East) welcomes the BC Supreme Court decision that Canada’s Medical Marijuana Access Regulations are unconstitutional, and called on Ottawa today to scrap the existing regulations and implement a fair and accessible medical marijuana program.
“The medical marijuana program is overly bureaucratic and costly for users, and simply does not serve the needs of cannabis patients,” said Davies.
Hundreds of eligible clients of Canada’s program opt out after a short time because of prohibitive costs, leaving them with no alternative but to use private sellers, which is often illegal.
Libby Davies has long called for a federal audit of the program, which turns a profit for Health Canada. As recently as June, Davies wrote the Minister of Health demanding a public review of the flawed program, pointing out, among other problems, that doctors are reluctant to enroll patients in the program because of the high costs and poor quality of the cannabis the government supplies.
The Federal Court and other provincial courts have also found the current program to be too burdensome for patients needing the drug.
“Users of medical marijuana need to be treated with respect and dignity,” said Davies. “Ottawa must get on with the job of working with all stakeholders to develop and implement a program that meets the needs of its users.”
-30-
The long, systemic problem in the Downtown Eastside has been the failure of public policy to address growing poverty. That's manifested itself in many different ways. Overall, it is people's lack of purchasing power. It's people lacking the basic necessities of life for any kind of decent standard of life, whether it's money to buy an affordable room, whether it's to buy food or clothes or to get to work, or have any kind of semblance of what we would consider a normal life.