News

Ms. Jean Crowder (Nanaimo—Cowichan, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to speak to Bill C-9, the jobs and economic growth act. As the member for Outremont, our finance critic, has indicated, the New Democrats will be voting against this particular piece of legislation.

When pieces of legislation come before the House, we have responsibilities as members of Parliament to give them full consideration. Although we do support pieces of this legislation, there are other pieces of it that we are fundamentally opposed to. The Conservative government has decided to jam into this piece of legislation things that should properly be considered by other parliamentary standing committees and should have stand-alone legislation.

By: Darrell Bellaart, Daily News

Nanaimo-Cowichan MP Jean Crowder is throwing her support behind keeping the Green's Landing wharf on Gabriola Island under federal control.

The Regional District of Nanaimo is looking to takeover the wharf to maintain access to tiny Mudge Island, if Public Works Canada chooses to proceed with divestment of the facility.

It is the main access point to Mudge from Gabriola and has been operated federally since 1959.

Are you the proprietor of a community-based not-for-profit organization? Are you involved in promoting tourism to our beautiful community? Is your organization involved in protecting Nanaimo-Cowichan’s environment? Most importantly, do you need extra help this summer and don’t have the resources to hire someone?

If you answered yes to one of these questions, you may be interested in learning more about the Canada Summer Jobs 2010 program.

Ms. Jean Crowder (Nanaimo—Cowichan, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time, if there is any left, with the member for Western Arctic.

It has been interesting to listen to the debate in this House, because what we have heard is a radical attempt by the Conservatives to distance themselves from this tax. Part of the challenge with this is that if there is no role for the federal government, why are we debating Bill C-62 in this House?

In addition, we have an agreement here entitled “Memorandum of Agreement Concerning a Canada-British Columbia Comprehensive Integrated Tax Co-ordination Agreement”. Throughout its text, this agreement defines the parties as the Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia, so we have two parties involved in this agreement, and we need to have this debate in this House because Canada is party to this agreement. To say there is no federal role is simply false.

Ms. Jean Crowder (Nanaimo—Cowichan, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present.

The first petition concerns rural post offices. One of the things we know about public post offices is they connect communities throughout this vast land, helping us to overcome differences and distances. Public post offices play a key role in our social and economic lives by providing the infrastructure that healthy communities need to thrive and for businesses to grow.

Ms. Jean Crowder (Nanaimo—Cowichan, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Timmins—James Bay.

There are a couple of issues I want to raise in the course of this debate. First of all, we are debating right now a motion on time allocation. Earlier today we saw a shameful vote in this House on closure, which has actually shut off our ability to have a fulsome discussion on this particular piece of legislation, Bill C-62. Once the procedural motion is voted on this evening, we will be forced into a very limited debate on Bill C-62.

Even though this only applies in Ontario and British Columbia at this time, there are British Columbians and Ontarians who live and travel across this country, and what we are consistently hearing from them is that they do not like this HST. In fact, one of my constituents called it the “hated sales tax”.

Ms. Jean Crowder (Nanaimo—Cowichan, NDP): Madam Speaker, I want to go back to something the member for Timmins—James Bay said about arts funding. I want to quote the member's very good question in the House about the CBC. He said:

Mr. Speaker, we are now seeing crippling losses at CBC in Windsor, Sudbury and Thunder Bay. While we are talking about pink slips, he should be giving them to the Conservative MPs from Quebec who will pay for his decision to blow 260 jobs yesterday in Montreal alone.

Ms. Jean Crowder: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

First of all, congratulations on your recent election, and welcome to the committee.

A number of other members touched on it, but I want to come back to the violence against aboriginal women, the murdered and missing aboriginal women. I know that the Native Women's Association, in conjunction with a number of other organizations, has called for a national plan of action. It has outlined elements such as improving public awareness and accountability, reducing the risk by closing the economic and social gap, and improving the child welfare system.

Ms. Jean Crowder (Nanaimo—Cowichan, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I am rising to speak today to Bill C-51, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on January 27, 2009 and to implement other measures. When we are talking about Bill C-51, I want to talk about a couple of the points that are covered under this particular piece of legislation.