Wayne in the News

Budget 2008: Harper should think green to create growth
WAYNE MARSTON

Stephen Harper hasn't decided when his Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is going to hand down his budget, but already, there is rampant speculation and even a few promises about what will and won't be in it.

As your Member of Parliament, I try to stay away from speculation as much as possible and stick to what I know. I know we need investment in our community and to find ways to keep our jobs and to create more lasting jobs.

Statistics Canada's most recent manufacturing employment figures show 33,000 manufacturing jobs were lost last December alone. Tallied up, 2007 was worse than 2006 with a 6.2 per cent decline adding up to almost 350,000 manufacturing jobs lost since November 2002.

If Mr. Harper or Mr. Flaherty think a plan for this sector should look like Mr. Harper's recent forestry sector plan, which amounts to no more than showing up with a cheque after a mill or plant has been closed and the jobs have disappeared, they have misunderstood the potential of the manufacturing industry as much as they have the forestry sector.

But what can be done? If you looked around lately, a lot of people are talking about "greening" our economy and we in the NDP are talking about green-collar jobs. Green-collar jobs result from creating demand in existing sectors, while using many of the same skilled people in work that also contributes to the goal of reducing our ecological footprint.

Take for example our steel industry. If we were to look at Germany, where supports to the wind sector have increased demand for steel, because a lot of steel is needed to make wind turbines, we have an innovative way to think green and create jobs. Germany's wind sector employs 40,000 people, second only to its auto sector.

If Mr. Harper's budget were to support the wind energy sector so that it became more viable and widespread, in Steeltown we could talk about making the same product, perhaps with some modifications, for a new sector. And that would mean creating green collar jobs in our community.

Manufacturing jobs are disappearing in our community and others across the country. This affects everything from school enrolment to retail spending and has huge significance to local economies like ours, as well as our national economy. It is time for the federal budget to be about the manufacturing sector and the jobs depended on by so many in our community.

Published in the Stoney Creek News

PUBLICATION: The Hamilton Spectator
BYLINE: Daniel Nolan

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1,500 pack hall to back VON, St. Jo caregivers

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Union leaders, politicians, patients and just plain citizens packed a rally to support 200 home-care providers who will soon lose their jobs after being denied a contract renewal.

The event last night for the Victorian Order of Nurses and St. Joseph's Home care also attracted comedian Mary Walsh. She acted as co-host with CHAM 820 morning man Jason Farr, and American labour professor Tom Juravich. He entertained with songs he had written for the rally such as "Mean Things Happening in this Town" and the "New Home Care Song." It also featured numerous video testimonials from families who praised the two services and expressed fears for the future.

Organizers estimated about 1,500 people attended the rally at the Michelangelo Banquet Centre and they hope the attendance sends a message to the Ontario Liberal government to review the bidding process by the Community Care Access Centre (CCAC), which eliminated the VON and St. Joseph's last month from the request for proposal process that will determine who gets contracts for home care in the city. The two organizations currently handle 80 per cent of home care in Hamilton, but their contracts end March 31.

"They should take a step back and review this," said co-organizer Dave Murphy, vice-president of CUPE Local 4800 at Hamilton Health Sciences. "They should take a look at the whole process and start again. Don't shroud this process in secrecy."

The CCAC is expected to announce next month who won the new contracts. It won't say why the two services were eliminated, but they were dropped at the stage where written proposals were examined.

CCAC senior director Janet Doering said she welcomed the public appealing to the province for a review, but noted the request for proposals process had been reviewed by former health minister Elinor Caplan a few years ago and Caplan consulted with unions and patients.

"We already understood clearly that some people don't support the RFP process," she said.

"To be fair to the province, they did not create this whole RFP process in isolation ... This was not something cooked up in a back room," Doering said.

The rally featured more than half a dozen speakers, including federal NDP Leader Jack Layton, local NDP MPPs Paul Miller (who has asked the auditor general to audit the RFP process) and Andrea Horwath, and Joe Mancinelli, president of the Labourers International Union of North America (LIUNA). It was attended by local New Democrat MPs David Christopherson and Wayne Marston, city councillors Tom Jackson, Scott Duvall and Terry Whitehead, and Henry Watson, head of the local firefighters association.

Layton and Horwath denounced the involvement of for-profit corporations in the delivery of home care. Layton told the crowd how his 85-year-old mother-in-law received home care from a for-profit company and the care was not adequate.He didn't blamed the nurse, but her company, because it gave her too many patients to look after. He had to call a "complaint centre" to talk about his in-law's care.

"We should throw out the whole idea of competition for health care," Layton said.

Domestic violence, human rights on Marston's agenda
By Abigail Cukier Stoney Creek News

After four days off last year, Hamilton East-Stoney Creek MP Wayne Marston is in Cancun this week. But he already has lots planned for when he returns.

He will be holding town hall meetings, including one on the manufacturing industry crisis, Jan. 16, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion, 1180 Barton St. E. NDP Leader Jack Layton will be on hand.

Other priorities include increasing physical fitness of Canada's children and making sure domestic violence is dealt with more harshly and, as Multiculturalism Critic, he will write a review of the annual report on multiculturalism in Canada.

He also plans to continue talking to local residents.

"Just going to Horton's or Eastgate is important. You have to listen to the departments, but you also have to see what the average person's going to think of this," he said. "Getting out in the community, that's the great part of it for me and my wife, I really enjoy people and getting out."

He says 2007 was "extremely exciting."

One highlight was traveling to China. As is custom, when a minister travels, a member of the opposition is invited and Mr. Marston traveled with Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter MacKay.

While there, he had meetings regarding Huseyin Celil, whose case Mr. Marston has been working on for two years.

Mr. Celil was arrested in 2006 while visiting his wife's family in Uzbekistan. Three months later, officials there handed the former Hamilton imam over to China, where he is accused of participating in alleged terrorist separatist activities.

In parliament last year, Mr. Marston urged for consular access and a fair trial for Mr. Celil.
Mr. Celil came to Canada as a refugee and became a citizen in 2005. Chinese officials have rejected claims he is a Canadian citizen and have denied Canadian diplomats access to him.

After his visit to China, Mr. Marston believes there is a reasonable chance Mr. Celil will return to Canada after the summer Olympic Games.

Another issue that was important to Mr. Marston was launching a petition campaign calling on the government to establish a National DNA Bank and National Missing Persons Index.
Mr. Marston asked for legislation to create national systems for cross-referencing human remains to the DNA of missing persons.

"It is an honour to stand in the House and talk about issues that are so important to families," he said.

In February, the sub-committee on International Human Rights unanimously passed a motion by Mr. Marston to have hearings on the question of Canada signing the UN Optional Protocol Against Torture.

Mr. Marston's motion called for the sub-committee to hear witnesses on the protocol and make a recommendation to parliament.

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STATEMENT ON INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY FROM
NDP HUMAN RIGHTS CRITIC WAYNE MARSTON

“On the occasion of International Human Rights Day, the NDP joins the many Canadian activists and advocates throughout our communities and around the world in a reaffirmation of our commitment to fighting for equality and dignity for all.

“Canada should be a leader in the global fight against inequality and injustice. Stephen Harper’s Conservative government is a threat to that leadership, ignoring decades of hard work by countless Canadians.

“As Louise Arbour, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights recently stated, there is a sense Canada is moving away from its commitment to multilateralism and is instead advancing a new agenda in the form of national and regional alliances.

“The Declaration of Human Rights remains as relevant today as it did on the day it was adopted. Unfortunately, governments often lack the political will to implement courageous acts that would empower all citizens.

“We saw this when Canada dramatically reversed its position and withdrew support of the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

“Canada’s reputation is on the line. Today, on the International Day for Human Rights, the NDP is calling on Harper’s Conservatives to re-dedicate themselves to an international and domestic commitment to human rights that truly respects the equality and dignity of all people.”

-30-

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MARSTON CALLS FOR STRATEGY FOR NEWLY UNEMPLOYED MANUFACTURING WORKERS
Statscan reports over 16,000 newly unemployed manufacturing workers in November

Ottawa – Wayne Marston, MP (Hamilton East – Stoney Creek) has been hammering the Conservative government in the House of Commons this week to develop a jobs strategy for manufacturing workers.

“Statistics Canada reported today that in November alone, over 16,000 jobs were lost in the manufacturing sector. During Question Period and in a speech last night in the House, I questioned the Conservative government why it is that in almost 2 years of power there is still no Canadian manufacturing jobs strategy.” said Marston.

Wayne Marston and the NDP are promoting a Jobs Strategy for the Manufacturing sector that would include a comprehensive strategy on keeping and promoting new jobs in the sector, improve EI eligibility for workers and families in transition and to protect workers pensions in cases of bankruptcy and closures.

In a speech to the House of Commons on Bill C -411 on December 6th, Wayne Marston called on the need for market based definitions to protect Canadian jobs from foreign dumping such as has been seen in the steel market.

“Conservatives scripted answers are cold comfort to the families of the 16,000 workers who lost their jobs in November and the almost 100,000 in the last year. We all know the damage to our local economy and individual households of these job losses. We also have known for years that job loss and plant closures have serious health consequences for workers and their families.” commented Marston.

“This Government needs a plan for the manufacturing sector and for newly unemployed workers and the time to act is now.”

-30-

MARSTON CONDEMNS GOVERNMENTS' FREE TRADE PLANS WITH COLOMBIA

OTTAWA – In Toronto for the Ontario Federation of Labour Convention and a rally to oppose the proposed Canada-Colombia free trade agreement, Human Rights Critic Wayne Marston (Hamilton East – Stoney Creek) condemned the trade agreement that has no plan to deal with the human rights crisis in Colombia.

“Harper’s Governments rush to beat others to Colombia, including George Bush, puts Canada’s reputation as a leader in human rights advocacy in jeopardy. The people of Colombia were hoping that Canada would use its influence to help them in their struggle for human rights,” said Marston in his address to the OFL.

The Harper government has been fast-tracking trade negotiations with the Colombian government in spite of the fact that the U.S. Congress has blocked a similar initiative put forward by George W. Bush. Indigenous peoples, Afro-Colombians, human rights activists, journalists and trade unionists struggling to rebuild their communities in Colombia are afraid that a Canadian deal with Columbia could be used by the Republicans as a precedent for the ratification of their proposed initiative, which similarly ignores human rights issues.

An NDP motion in the International Trade committee recommending that negotiations be halted to develop a framework for a Human Rights Impact Assessment prior to signing a trade agreement failed due to lack of support from Liberal and Conservative members of the committee.

“In the last 5 years, extrajudicial killings in Colombia have doubled. The Government is embroiled in a scandal where over 40 members of Congress and the Presidents own cousin and Senator are under investigation for connections to para-military groups.” commented Marston.

“Harpers’ governments’ response to the issue of serious human rights concerns is weak and embarrassing. Canada is a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council and we should be leading by example and setting the precedent to make sure that human rights are a leading concern in trade agreements, not something that is swept under the table in the hopes that it goes away.”

-30-

MARSTON CALLS FOR PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE ON CONSERVATIVES DEATH PENALTY POLICY

Ottawa – In Ottawa, Wayne Marston, MP (Hamilton East – Stoney Creek) and the NDP’s Human Rights Critic, made the following statement on the Conservatives death penalty policy:

“It is time for the Conservative government to be open and honest. It is time for them to bring forward their policy on the death penalty and put it to a vote in the House of Commons.

Recently, Prime Minister Harper’s government has executed an about face on the issue by withdrawing its’ application for clemency in the case of Ronald Allen Smith and quitting its responsibility as co-sponsor for the motion at the United Nations General Assembly on worldwide abolition of the death penalty.

The governments refusal to seek clemency for a Canadian on death row is immoral and wrong. We decided here in Canada a long time ago that the state does not have the right to kill, no matter what the crime.

That principle does not stop at the border.

A recent poll suggests that 50% of Canadians are opposed to the Conservatives position. It is time for this Government to bring the policy forward so that all Canadians know exactly where they stand and Parliament must have a say on this important issue.”

The document linked below was mailings sent to about 1/3 of all households in Hamilton East - Stoney Creek reminding people about Remembrance Day ceremonies in our community.

Nov 01 2007 10:20:00 - Source: CP [The Canadian Press]

New Democrats call for national DNA databank, promote petition (DNA-Databank)

OTTAWA - A New Democrat MP is calling for a national DNA databank to help trace missing persons.

Wayne Marston says he took up the issue when he was approached by the Hamilton-area family of Billy Mason, who disappeared in February 2006.

Marston says there is a patchwork process in place to check DNA in missing-persons cases, but he says it's governed by luck.

He says a national DNA bank and missing-persons index would enable law enforcement to cross-check DNA on items and remains that have been found with that of missing persons.

Mason's family has started a national petition with 6,600 signatures calling on Parliament to review research and legislate implementation of a DNA human-remains index and a DNA databank for missing persons.

The petition states there are thousands of missing-person cases in Canada and no established method to cross-reference recovered remains with people on the missing-persons list.

The federal, provincial and territorial governments have been discussing a DNA missing-persons index, but the petition says while they talk families suffer without closure even though their loved ones may already have been found.

INDEX: SOCIAL JUSTICE
CP Command News is one of many services from The Canadian Press, Canada’s No. 1 Source for News.

MARSTON PRESENTS PETITIONS FOR NATIONAL DNA BANK
6600 Hamiltonians support call for a National DNA and Missing Persons Bank

OTTAWA –NDP MP Wayne Marston (Hamilton East-Stoney Creek) presented today in the House of Commons a petition signed by over 6600 people calling on the Harper Conservatives to move quickly on establishing a National DNA and Missing Persons Bank.

“It is time for the Conservatives to commit to implementing a National DNA and Missing Persons Bank. It is time for the Conservatives to tell the families of the estimated 4800 missing Canadians when this important tool will be available. And it is time for Billy Mason’s family to get the answers they have waited for so long,” said Marston.

William “Billy” Mason disappeared in Hamilton in February of 2006. Since then, Mr. Mason’s mother, Donna Dixon, and his grandmother, Mary Mason, have been searching for answers about his disappearance. They first began calling for a National DNA and Missing Persons Bank with Marston when they found out that there was no way to match Mr. Mason’s DNA to an article of clothing that was found and that Ms. Dixon believes belonged to her son.

During a press conference in Ottawa today, Marston also read a statement from Mr. Mason’s mother.

“I was overwhelmed when Ms. Dixon brought the petitions back to me with over 6600 signatures. The families of missing persons and law enforcement officials need this tool. It’s time for the federal government to deliver.”