Marston comments on November 2008 Speech from the Throne

40:1 Hansard - 2 (2008/11/19)

Mr. Wayne Marston (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, NDP):
Mr. Speaker, I thank the constituents of Hamilton East—Stoney Creek for returning me to this place. They sent me here with the understanding that we would do better.

As I listened to the Speech from the Throne today, I realized that Canadians were hoping for more and New Democrats were certainly expecting more. I waited to hear about affordable housing, child care or an increase to the pensions of Canadians.

Just a few days before the election, a citizen came into my office. He brought a pronouncement from the government which informed him that his pension would increase by 42¢ a month. In times such as these, it takes me back to the late days of the Harris government in Ontario when one of its ministers said, “Let the poor eat tuna”. Are we returning to that?

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

Mr. Wayne Marston (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, NDP):
Mr. Speaker, did my Bloc friend across the way have the same sense of missed opportunity that I did when I first heard the throne speech?

Canadians were hoping for a dynamic document, something that would inspire people in these terrible times that we are going into. The throne speech offered nothing for seniors. It offered no child care for young families, no affordable housing and the jobs that would come with it.

Liberals will ask us on this side if we will vote against this and risk an election. My principles say that I am here to stand up for my constituents, the seniors and young families of Hamilton East--Stoney Creek. I definitely will be voting against something as uninspiring as the throne speech.

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

Mr. Wayne Marston (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, NDP):
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate our new friend from Thunder Bay—Superior North and welcome him to this place.

After hearing his first speech and his reference to the shocking lack of doctors in his community, it is similar across the country but it seems particularly terrible there.

We heard a lot of talk today about deficit and deficit spending. My colleague referred to the fact that corporate tax cuts for the big oil companies and banks were scheduled over the next number of years at the rate of about $14 billion a year. It would probably be a good idea if the government rescinded those.

I heard him also talk about loan guarantees. On the weekend past, I was in the Dewildt Chrysler dealership in Hamilton East—Stoney Creek talking to the owners about the problems they were having. Earlier today a government member talked about the number of auto sales. Where the issue is for the folks in these businesses is the restocking of their vehicles. They have been selling in fairly large numbers, but they need the investment money for restocking, bringing in the next models that they are going to put on the market.

Another member spoke as well about the rate of unemployment being 6.1%. Those were figures well over a month and a half ago and I am sure they are dramatically worse. Could the member tell us if the figure has been dramatically worse in the last six weeks in his riding as it has in mine?

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

Mr. Wayne Marston (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, NDP):
Mr. Speaker, when the hon. member from the Bloc heard the throne speech, was he as dismayed as I was? I waited to hear something around pensions, something for seniors, and it seemed to be lacking.

Is this not an opportune time for some kind of dynamic change to our employment insurance system? The reality is there is inequity about how many weeks people can be on EI, depending on what part of the country they are from. Quebec and Ontario workers seem to be penalized compared to other parts of the country.

I would put another point specifically for the member. Hearing the reports, it looks like the Prime Minister has now targeted the civil servants of our country and has made them scapegoats to divert attention from the real crisis we have at hand.

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

Mr. Wayne Marston (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, NDP):
Madam Speaker, I am a little bit lost because I did not know it was the member's birthday. Congratulations and happy birthday. I am thrilled to hear it. We will not talk about her age, as she has already done that once.

In my riding of Hamilton East—Stoney Creek this summer, as members heard in my statement earlier today, I was approached by many seniors who were extremely upset, in fact in tears, because they were getting an increase in a government pension of only 42¢ a month. Can we imagine what that felt like? Seniors expected more from the government, and they needed more. I would like to know from the member, what was the reaction in her community to this minuscule raise?