Heather McPherson

Saanich—Gulf Islands Mr. Speaker, I want to rise and add my voice to the matter of privilege raised yesterday by my colleague, the member for. House of Commons Procedure and Practice Debate in this House is often vigorous. We know that. We disagree about facts, policy and the direction of our country every single day in this place. That is our responsibility as elected representatives, but there [more]

Mr. Speaker, it is a bit of a bigger issue, and the government has a role to play on a larger scale. This is not just about making web giants pay their fair share. It is not just about taking $600 million from Canadians to make up the shortfall. It is a bigger picture. We need to have guardrails and legislation in place to protect Canadians from the disinformation, misinformation and foreign [more]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for bringing this motion forward and making sure that people in Quebec and across Canada are aware of what is being done right now in Canada, what the government is doing. I think it is really important. It is an important moment. Right now, our sovereignty is under attack. We all know that. Everyone in this place knows that our sovereignty is being [more]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP has long been a champion of diversity in Canada. We have also long been defenders and promoters of Quebec's cultural distinctiveness within Canada and the rights of francophones. The NDP has long supported the right of Quebec, as the only majority French culture in North America, to protect and promote the French language, including in broadcasting. We strongly support [more]

Mr. Speaker, I could not agree with my colleague more. The fact of the matter is that the $600 million, which we should not be taking from the pockets of Canadians, has not even gone to the industry that requires the money and needs the support. Announcements do not keep jobs. Announcements do not help Canadian workers. Announcements do not tell stories, but we would not know that by watching [more]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honour a remarkable woman, Irene Mathyssen. Irene devoted her life to public service and to building a more just society. As a leader, teacher, community activist, cabinet minister, MPP for Middlesex and MP for London—Fanshawe, she championed equality, human rights, women's rights and a stronger social safety net for all. Irene was known for her warmth, her humour, her [more]

Mr. Speaker, this week we learned Israeli defence company Elbit Systems is acquiring a Canadian submarine company. A few weeks ago, a different Israeli company acquired a Canadian offshore project owned by Suncor. Both of these companies are on a United Nations blacklist for complicity in genocide and the ongoing illegal occupation in Palestine. The government has promised to ban trade with [more]

Mr. Speaker, for years, United Steelworkers has warned the government that Canada's dependence on American markets and the failure to have a good, comprehensive industrial strategy, including a national steel strategy, were putting our steel industry and Canadian workers at risk. Now at Stelco, hundreds of United Steelworker members are facing layoffs. The human cost of this decision is [more]

Mr. Speaker, the steelworkers have done their part. They warned us what was coming. They put forward solutions. They helped build this country. Now the government must do its part. It must use the money announced today to build Canadian steel capacity, to put enforceable conditions on public support, to deliver the protections United Steelworkers has demanded, and to make Cleveland-Cliffs answer [more]

Mr. Speaker, I do not even know which of those things to address, so I am going to stick with the health care components that the member spoke about. Vancouver Kingsway First of all, I am extraordinarily proud to be in the same caucus as the member for, who worked so incredibly hard to get the pharmacare program that was brought forward. This was something the NDP pushed for and has pushed for [more]

Mr. Speaker, we installed a heat pump in my home in Edmonton just this summer, and I am absolutely delighted with it. We also have solar panels. However, let us be realistic. I have a very good job where I can actually afford to pay for these things and to install them. We need to do everything we can to provide supports to those folks who cannot afford to retrofit their homes. Any part we can [more]

Mr. Speaker, I am very happy that I have an opportunity today to talk about the opposition day motion on affordability. I want to bring up the point that affordability is not just about prices or lowering the cost of living. It is also about whether people have enough income security and bargaining power to afford a decent life. Right now, Canadians cannot afford life. They cannot afford their [more]

Yes, Mr. Speaker, there is an affordability crisis. There is a crisis with wages not keeping up to the rate of inflation. There is a crisis with seniors and people living with disabilities. There is a crisis of people being unable to afford their lives while the ultrawealthy are getting wealthier on the backs of everyday Canadian workers.