Critic Responsibilities

OTTAWA – The recession has exposed serious flaws in Canada’s retirement savings system and has placed at risk the pension plans that many Canadians have paid into during their entire careers, New Democrat leader Jack Layton said today.

40:2 Hansard - 53 (2009/5/7)

Mr. Wayne Marston (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, NDP):
Mr. Speaker, it has been 66 days since the layoffs at U.S. Steel, 66 days of instability and worry for steelworkers and retirees in Hamilton, 66 days of fear, while waiting for the minister to act. It is insulting for the minister to pat himself on the back for finally taking action yesterday after waiting two months to do anything.

40:2 Hansard - 13 (2009/2/11)

Mr. Wayne Marston (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, NDP):

Madam Speaker, as I rise to speak today, I think I owe the House a little bit of an explanation because as I speak members will hear my voice tremble and see my hands shake. The reason is simple. It is not that I am frightened; I am damn angry. I am angry at what is hidden in this document that is hurting the workers, the families and the seniors in my community.

40:2 Hansard - 8 (2009/2/4)

Mr. Wayne Marston (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, NDP):
Madam Speaker, I want to begin my remarks by thanking the member for Toronto—Danforth, the leader of the NDP, for leading the call today for this emergency debate. I also want to thank the other members present who are taking part in something that is so crucial and so important to the Sri Lankan community in Canada.

40:1 Hansard - 7 (2008/11/26)

Mr. Wayne Marston (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, as I proudly rise in the House today, I want to thank the electors of Hamilton East--Stoney Creek for voting to once again honour me with their trust to represent them in this place.

Mr. Speaker, as I proudly rise in the House today, I want to thank the electors of Hamilton East--Stoney Creek for voting to once again honour me with their trust to represent them in this place.

Members will know that many seniors have only their government pensions to sustain them. Earlier this summer, my staff received numerous complaints from seniors who began receiving letters from the government announcing their pensions were increasing by 42¢ a month. Members heard it correctly, a mere 42¢ a month. How insulting.

40:1 Hansard - 5 (2008/11/24)

Mr. Wayne Marston (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, NDP):
Mr. Speaker, the incoming U.S. administration has been very clear about its intentions to get rid of the prison at Guantanamo. The president-elect has called it a “sad chapter in U.S. history”.

One citizen of one western country, only one, is still locked up there, a Canadian, Omar Khadr.

OTTAWA – MP Wayne Marston, (Hamilton East – Stoney Creek) and the NDP’s Critic on Human Rights presented a motion on March 11, 2008 before the Subcommittee on Human Rights drawing attention to the detention and prosecution of Omar Khadr with hopes that Canadian government would recognize him as a child combatant and petition the American government for his repatriation.

Mr. Khadr’s lawyer, U.S. Navy Lt. Commander William Kuebler, appeared before the House of Commons Subcommittee on April 29, 2008 where he appealed for Canada to save Mr. Khadr’s from a potential life sentence. "It's not a question of giving this young man a second chance. He has never had a first one. The only blessing he's had is being born in Canada and this country now represents his only hope," said Lt. Cmdr. Kuebler.

Kuebler also talked extensively about the rules set forth by the UN Optional Protocol on the Convention of the Rights of the Child. This Protocol clearly defines child combatants as victims, under the age of 18 years, who have been sent to fight. Canada was the first country to ratify the Protocol and has an obligation to abide by it. Unfortunately, it would appear as though the Conservative government does not believe it must uphold these international obligations.

“The fact that Omar Khadr's country has not given him the help that all Canadian citizens deserve is absolutely unacceptable” said Marston. “This boy was a child soldier, when he was shot in the back twice, almost executed, and then held as a prisoner at the age of 15. He has had to cope with what the American government calls, "enhanced interrogation techniques" at Guantanamo Bay, has been held with adult detainees for the past six years, and now faces life in prison,” said Wayne Marston.

At the time he was taken into custody, Omar Khadr was by all definitions a child soldier, and as such, Marston and the NDP believe the Canadian government has a responsibility to ensure that he receives a fair trial in his home country. Mr. Khadr has not received fair process or justice during his almost six year incarceration in Guantanamo Bay. This is especially obvious when all other combatants from other nations, being held in either Afghanistan detention centres or at Guantanamo Bay’s centre have been released to their home countries.

Marston wrote to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Bernier demanding the government defend this Canadian citizen, repatriate Omar Khadr, declare him to be a child combatant, and ultimately to bring him home.

I regularly send out Labour Reports to all the Labour Affiliates within the riding. This is an update on the goings on at Parliament, the events that I attend in the riding and the issues that I raise in Parliament that affect Labour.

Listed here are the most recent reports I sent out.

39th PARLIAMENT, 2nd SESSION
EDITED HANSARD • NUMBER 070

Wednesday, April 2, 2008, Komagata Maru Incident: Motion No. 469

That, in the opinion of the House, the government should officially apologize to the Indo-Canadian community and to the individuals impacted in the 1914 Komagata Maru incident, in which passengers were prevented from landing in Canada.

Mr. Wayne Marston (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of Motion No. 469 and to inform the member for Brampton—Springdale that the entire NDP caucus will also be supporting this important motion.