November 17, 2005

Hon. Bill Blaikie (Elmwood-Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, it was reported recently that the Standard & Poor's rating agency downgraded its outlook for the Canadian Wheat Board because of concerns that the Liberals are weakening in their support of the board and are not prepared to vigorously defend single desk selling at the upcoming WTO meetings in Hong Kong where state trading enterprises like the board are being targeted.

Wednesday October 26, 2005

Hon. Bill Blaikie (Elmwood—Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, in this Year of the Veteran, I rise to pay tribute to fellow Manitoban, Lieutenant-Colonel Lockhart Fulton who died last Friday at the age of 88. Believed to have been Canada's senior surviving combat officer from World War II, Lockie Fulton was legendary for leading the men of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles from the front, in hundreds of battles and skirmishes from D-Day to VE-Day, without ever being wounded.

September 29, 2005 

Hon. Bill Blaikie (Elmwood-Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, a study just released by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives makes it clear that oil companies have raised gasoline prices away above what can be justified by the current price of crude oil. The study shows that Canadians should be paying several cents a litre less in the current circumstances, instead of being gouged at the pumps as is now the case.

May 30, 2005

 Hon. Bill Blaikie (Elmwood-Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, as the NDP defence critic I am rising today to call the attention of the minister of defence and the House to the contract for making shell cases which DND has with IMT Partnership.Formerly owned by IVACO and now owned by the former company president, this profitable company is demanding concessions, including a 12% rollback in wages, elimination of cost of living adjustments, reduction in vacation time and reduced benefits.
If the company does not change its attitude, DND should be looking to do its business with more socially responsible owners, instead of someone who is clearly out to bust the union.

In the interests of justice for the 136 workers of Steelworkers Local 2916 who are currently on strike, but who are facing the prospect of scabs, I urge the minister of defence to tell this company that this is not the kind of behaviour that DND will tolerate from its suppliers.

Decent wages and benefits are the backbone of a decent society. Governments that turn a blind eye to those who would constantly make people work harder for less are sanctioning a trend that is contrary to the common good.

April 19, 2005

Hon. Bill Blaikie (Elmwood-Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, this week marks the first anniversary of the visit of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, to Parliament Hill.

April 6, 2005

Hon. Bill Blaikie (Elmwood-Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, at a time when so many other issues dominate the domestic and Canada-U.S. political scene, I rise to ask the House to focus for a moment on the fact that an entire Canadian ecosystem is in imminent danger because of the Liberal government's failure to get the American government to refer the Devils Lake diversion project to the International Joint Commission on Boundary Waters.

March 24, 2005

Hon. Bill Blaikie (Elmwood-Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, 25 years ago today Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador was gunned down by a hired assassin while saying Mass for a community of nuns. Archbishop Romero had had the courage to criticize El Salvador’s American backed military for various murders and disappearances.

June 28, 2005

Hon Bill Blaikie (Elmwood-Transcona, NDP): In a time when religion is characterized in the media as a conservative force, there is a need to diversify the face of religion in the political realm, and to emphasize that there are faith informed progressive perspectives on issues which too often are dealt with as if there is only a debate between faith and non-faith. In fact what is often happening is a debate between Canadians of the same faith and/or a debate between conservative faith communities and a secular liberalism that owes its values in large part to our common religious heritage.

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Hon. Bill Blaikie (Elmwood—Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I begin by saying how much I wish we could have done this while Major-General Cloutier was still with us, but as we all know, he requested that we not do so and we respected his humility in this regard.

Monday September 27, 2005

Hon. Bill Blaikie (Elmwood—Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, amid all the end of summer controversy about hurricane Katrina, gas prices, the CBC lockout and various other important issues, many Canadians quite properly focused for a time on a very important anniversary, the 25th anniversary of Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope.