Wayne in the News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TIME TO STAND UP FOR COMFORT WOMEN: NDP
NDP urges Conservatives to follow the lead from US resolution

OTTAWA –The NDP critic for Human Rights called on the Conservative government to follow the lead from the US House of Representatives and approve a resolution to call on the Japanese Prime Minister to acknowledge, apologize and appropriately compensate the Korean, Chinese and Filipino women who were forced into prostitution during WWII.

NDP MP Wayne Marston (Hamilton East-Stoney Creek) stated, “We must act in accordance with the principles of defending human rights that ordinary Canadians believe in. Around 200,000 women were lured from their homes in neighboring countries and forced to work as prostitutes for the Japanese military. Japan should officially apologize and compensate these women and Canada should be urging them to do so.”

No formal apology or redress has been delivered and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made disturbing comments in recent months about their situation. In April, Marston introduced a motion at the sub-committee on International Human Rights asking the Conservative government to urge the Japanese to officially apologize and provide compensation. Although the sub-committee passed that motion, the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs sent it back for further study.

“Women’s organizations, representatives of the affected communities and the NDP have pushed for such action by Parliament but have had difficulty securing support for inexplicable reasons,” charged NDP MP Olivia Chow (Trinity Spadina), who authored a parallel motion on comfort women that is currently before the House of Commons. “Until truth is named, reconciliation cannot be achieved,” she said.

“If the U.S. House of Representatives can pass a resolution calling for an official apology, this Government should follow that lead and the NDP motion should be approved as soon as Parliament resumes, so that Canada can join other nations in urging the Japanese Government to do what is right,” said Marston. “History denied is justice denied – Canada should have moved on this issue a long time ago.”

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In June 2007, I sent the document linked below because I wanted to be in touch on a couple of important issues like the so-called Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) being negotiated between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico and highlight some of the community events and work that was going on at the time.

'Rare' salamanders widen debate on turtle ponds
Richard Leitner, Stoney Creek
Published: June 15th 2007

The Hamilton Conservation Authority is asking the city to consider extending environmental protections to school board properties by turtle ponds near the Stoney Creek lakeshore.

Directors voted unanimously last week to request a more comprehensive study of two Community Beach ponds previously earmarked for protection, as well as a man-made one also reportedly home to birds, turtles and salamanders.

Should the city decide to officially designate the ponds and neighbouring land as an environmentally significant area, directors also left the door open for the conservation authority to assume ownership.

MARSTON PUSHES TORIES ON MANUFACTURING
JOBS STRATEGY & POVERTY ERADICATION

Ottawa – During Question Period today, Wayne Marston (MP Hamilton East – Stoney Creek) drilled the Harper government on when they will have a strategy to protect and create manufacturing jobs in Hamilton.

“It’s not just the workers at Stelco and Hamilton Specialty Bar that are feeling the impact of job losses in the manufacturing sector: it is their families and the community as a whole that loses when the economic spin-off generated from well-paying manufacturing jobs are lost in a community like ours.”

Click on the link below to find a mailing regarding Wayne Marston's efforts to save Stoney Creek's Turtle Ponds.

TIANAMEN SQUARE: 18 YEARS LATER

Ottawa – After making a statement in the House of Commons commemorating the 18th anniversary of the massacre in Tianamen Square June 4th 1989, Mr. Marston (NDP Critic for Human Rights, Multiculturalism and Sport) issued the following public statement:

“Yesterday, people around the world paused to remember the 18th anniversary of the massacre at Tiananmen Square. From April to June in 1989 pro-democracy and labour activists, intellectuals and students gathered in a series of protests in the Beijing Square. Eighteen years ago yesterday, on June 4th, the military cracked down on protesters and several hundred to several thousand were killed.

NDP, COMMUNITY GROUPS WIN FIGHT TO SAVE LOCAL CANADA SUMMER JOBS PROGRAMS

OTTAWA – Hamilton’s NDP MPs announced a victory for students and communities today, as Service Canada confirmed that all non-profit groups receiving funding to hire summer students last year will receive funding this year under Canada Summer Jobs.

“This is a good start,” said MP Wayne Marston (Hamilton East-Stoney Creek). “But more needs to be done”.

Rejection notices were sent last week to non-profit associations and municipalities who had previously offered valuable community programs, but who had expected funding according to the program’s criteria.

HAMILTONIANS CONTINUE TO BE CHEATED AT THE PUMPS

As long weekend price increases loom,
NDP calls for regulating uncontrolled gas and oil prices

Hamilton, ON – Today, Hamilton area NDP MP’s Wayne Marston (Hamilton East – Stoney Creek), Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain) and David Christopherson (Hamilton Centre) called on the federal government to implement a nation-wide regulatory agency to monitor the price of oil and gas and an ombudsman to protect consumers.

“It is unfair for working and middle-class families to be gouged at the pumps while, big oil companies continue to reap record profits,” said Wayne Marston. “Many people have no choice but to drive to work. The record prices we’re seeing today are a significant pay cut for their families. An independent watchdog needs to be set up to monitor prices and help protect against future gouging.”

NDP PLAN TO DEAL WITH PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS

During meetings in my office or when I’ve been out and about in Hamilton East –Stoney Creek I’ve heard about skyrocketing prescription drug prices from a lot of working families in my riding.

Between 1992 and 2002, household spending on prescription drugs jumped more than 70%. Over that same period, spending on food, clothing and shelter increased by 11%.

No family should face the burden of overwhelming drug costs alone: each year we spend nearly 4 billion dollars out of our own pockets on pharmaceutical drugs.

It is time that reasonable solutions are brought forward. Canada must provide working families with assurances that financial hardship won’t be a barrier to getting the prescription drugs they need. If you get sick and can’t afford the drugs needed to survive the federal government should step in to help.

CONSERVATIVES NOT PROTECTING PRESS FREEDOM

OTTAWA – To mark International Press Freedom day on May 3, NDP Human rights Critic Wayne Marston today called on the Conservatives to push countries Canada has diplomatic relations with to do more to protect press freedom.

“A free press is a vital component of any healthy democracy and one of the most useful tools to promote and protect human rights,” said Marston. “The Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister have been silent on the issue of press freedom, as journalists around the world are subject to censorship, intimidation, jail and murder. This silence has to end.”