Thursday October 9, 2003

Mr. Bill Blaikie (Winnipeg-Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, many are gathered in Winnipeg today to mourn the passing and celebrate the life of a great Canadian and Manitoban, Israel Asper.

Friday October 4, 2003

  Mr. Bill Blaikie (Winnipeg-Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, sweeping statements about any world religion, particularly negative statements, are never very helpful, but in the post-September 11 context they are downright unacceptable and dangerous. Reverend Gerry Falwell's description of the Prophet Mohammed as a “terrorist” is in this category of statements.

  Reverend Falwell would do well to heed biblical teachings that warn against self-righteousness and look for ways in which the best of all the world's faith traditions can be brought together in common cause against violence and injustice. Ill-informed attacks on the founder of the religion of one-fifth of the world's population are hardly the mark of a peacemaker.
 
  Neither the Prophet Mohammed nor Jesus Christ should be held responsible for all that is said or done in their names
e crowning achievement of a life already exceptional for its philanthropy.

September 19, 2003

Mr. Bill Blaikie (Winnipeg-Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, in June of this year before the House rose for the summer, I brought to the attention of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration the fact that many foreign delegates to the Lutheran World Federation meeting in Winnipeg in July were having an unjustifiably difficult time getting visas and I asked the minister to intervene accordingly.

June 12, 2003

  Mr. Bill Blaikie (Winnipeg-Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, the NDP is pleased to join with all the other parties in the House of Commons in recognizing and celebrating the work of Chabad Lubavitch. This worldwide movement provides a network of educational and social service institutions, operates schools, youth centres, social agencies, summer camps, soup kitchens, medical clinics and non-sectarian drug rehabilitation centres. There are 72 Chabad centres in Canada.

Wednesday June 4, 2003

Mr. Bill Blaikie (Winnipeg-Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate Premier Gary Doer of Manitoba on achieving a second majority government, with an increase of three seats to the NDP majority in the Manitoba legislature.

Premier Doer and his NDP colleagues have provided Manitoba with a competent, social democratic government. They have defended the health care system from privatization, celebrated public ownership of Manitoba Hydro and the public interest it can and does serve, kept tuition fees low and showed national leadership on the Kyoto accord, to mention just a few of their many accomplishments.

On behalf of NDP leader, Jack Layton, and all the federal caucus of the NDP, we wish the premier and his colleagues, old and new, a successful second term in office. A Canada with the political sense of Manitoba would be a great country indeed.

Monday April 28, 2003

Mr. Bill Blaikie (Winnipeg—Transcona, NDP): The National Day of Mourning for workers killed or injured on the job, which has its origins in a private member's bill of the former NDP MP for Churchill, Rod Murphy, is an occasion for all Canadians to mourn the tragic deaths and injuries that result from occupational accidents and work related illnesses.

Wednesday April 9, 2003

    Mr. Bill Blaikie (Winnipeg—Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, today marks the first official Vimy Ridge Day, although Canadians have been marking this day ever since the first anniversary of April 9, 1917, the day that Canadians all fought together under Canadian command for the first time, and in so doing achieved a victory that had eluded other armies.  

Tuesday April 1, 2003

Mr. Bill Blaikie (Winnipeg—Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. Carl Ridd, a citizen of Winnipeg and of the world who died last Saturday.

As a young man he was known as King Carl for his excellence on the basketball court, playing with Canada's Olympic team in 1952. His love for basketball was great, but his love for justice and for the truth was even greater. As a professor of religious studies, a Christian in the prophetic tradition, and a social and peace activist, he made his mark on our community. His last public act was to oversee a protest against the war in Iraq on February 15.

As a friend, former student, and fellow Christian struggling to see the world as God would have us see it, I am sure I speak for many in Winnipeg when I express sincere condolences to Carl's wife Bev and his family. His enthusiasm for life will be an ongoing inspiration to all who had the good fortune to know him.

Monday September 15, 2003

Mr. Bill Blaikie (Winnipeg—Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, the failure of the WTO meeting in Cancun should be seen as an opportunity to take stock of the whole WTO agenda and the false hope of trade liberalization and corporate globalization.

February 26, 2003

Mr. Bill Blaikie (Winnipeg-Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Transport has introduced legislation to provide for review of significant merger proposals in transportation services under federal jurisdiction. This is welcome to the extent that it leads to something meaningful but, unfortunately, the horse is already out of the barn when it comes to the CNR. Its merger with Illinois Central has already resulted in the virtual takeover of a formerly Canadian railway, now owned and operated by Americans.

At the CN shops in Transcona there is a plan in place to demolish the only shop left in Canada that can lift a locomotive by crane, thus destroying an industrial capacity that has existed since the shop was built almost 100 years ago, in 1909.

Would a company with a truly Canadian point of view allow such a thing to happen? I think not. I urge CN to change its plans.

In the meantime, shame on the Liberals for allowing the privatization of CN, the conditionless merger with Illinois Central, the silent takeover of our largest railway and the export of jobs. The legislation comes too late.