From Parliament

Mr. Wayne Marston (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, NDP): I should stress that I'm new to the committee and new to Parliament as well, but one thing that strikes me is that Canada's engagement on human rights in China has taken a back seat to trade imperatives. I'm concerned about that.

I listened to your comments earlier about civil society groups and bypassing the regime. More recently, you spoke about how other countries tend to be encouraging that. Are we in a position to put some people at risk if we do that?

Second, I've stated among my caucus for a while that the Olympics offer an opportunity to influence that we're not going to see in several generations. Perhaps you might have some recommendations as to how we could move forward on that. One of the things I would believe is that if we brought the sponsors and the IOC before this committee, it might be a place to plant some seeds and it might be helpful.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Mr Speaker I rise today with a profound sense of loss. One of Hamilton’s premier community leaders, Ray Johnson passed away this week.

Ray Johnson was a light in the Hamilton Community. A man who rose from limited means to become an icon of humanism in a fast and furious world.

Over the years I worked with Ray, I was struck by the fact that Ray always had time for anyone and everyone.

He was on the leading edge of social activism: fighting poverty and racism and he always did so with dignity and grace.

A devoted husband, father, and community leader in the truest sense Ray was honoured for his life’s work and named Hamilton’s Citizen of the year just last year.

HOUSE OF COMMONS Hansard

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today and speak to Bill C-28 and express many of the concerns raised in the Hamilton community around the budget.

This spring's budget saw the Conservative government essentially continue the Liberal income tax cut. The government added cuts to the GST and business taxes. It simply left what I would argue would be the most important social responsibilities to the province.

On the spending side, the government has all but turned its back on the Kelowna accord with aboriginal people, with only modest funding for housing. The government's decision to go beyond the GST cut and to proceed with further personal and corporate tax cuts is troubling. This will cause a significant shrinkage in government's fiscal capacity to invest in the aspirations of ordinary Canadians. It betrays their hopes in many ways.

HOUSE OF COMMONS
October 23rd, 2006

Road Race to Kenyan Relief
Mr. Wayne Marston (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, as a result of a chance meeting between Joseph, an elite Kenyan runner and a Hamilton school teacher, John Smith, a year and a half ago, the Road Race to Kenyan Relief was founded.

On Friday morning I hosted a breakfast for a unique group of students and their teachers from Glen Brae Middle School in my riding.

I met Carissa and Zarwa who, as grade 8 students, organized a one hour walk/run-a-thon in April 2005 that raised $3,125. I met teacher John Smith who, with his students this past year, organized a similar walk/run-a-thon and raised a total of $7,000.

Excerpt from the House of Commons

Not to pick on just the Conservatives, but maybe to throw a little fire across the way to the former Liberals, it was in the 1990s, as we will recall, that the Liberal Party ran on a platform in the 1993 election saying that it would not support the GST and would cancel it. It would not sign NAFTA. I recall a full page newspaper ad that had five priorities of things it would and would not do and those were the top two on that list. Lo and behold, what did it do? It kept the GST and signed the free trade agreement and again workers in my city were sold down the river.

IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

On Bill C-24 (Softwood Lumber Agreement)

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on Bill C-24, the bill put forward by the Minister of International Trade, the softwood lumber products export charge act, 2006
As I was considering the fact that I would be speaking today, a thought crossed my mind that this softwood sellout kind of matches a definition I have used for years relative to some folks who have passed through the House, ministers, members, even governments, that we ordinary folk call rogues and scoundrels.