44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 19, 2022 02:00PM
- Oct/19/22 2:33:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all New Democrats, I want to express my condolences to the friends, family and colleagues of Constable Yang over the horrific killing that was experienced in Burnaby.
The new inflation numbers released today clearly show that the cost of groceries continues to go up. Families are struggling and workers are facing enormous challenges.
It is clear that the Liberals and Conservatives have done nothing to tackle this “greedflation”.
When will the Prime Minister take action to support families?
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- Oct/19/22 2:35:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the new inflation numbers are deeply troubling. We see the cost of food continue to rise and set a record at 11.4%. We know that the Liberals and the Conservatives do not have the courage to take on greedflation, but we do. We forced everyone in this House to support our motion to tackle greedflation, and we know that the PR stunt from Galen Weston is not good enough.
Will the Prime Minister implement our solutions to support families now?
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- Oct/19/22 2:53:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the CLC put out a report by Jim Stanford that highlights some serious concerns with the Bank of Canada's approach to inflation. It lays out two mandates that the Bank of Canada must follow: one, to keep inflation in check, and two, to encourage maximum sustainable employment.
Given the fact that the increased interest rates of the Bank of Canada will not address the root causes of inflation, they are certainly going to create a self-induced recession, which will result in massive job losses. Does the Prime Minister agree with the Bank of Canada's approach?
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- Oct/19/22 2:54:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, New Democrats have a rich tradition of calling out institutions that end up exploiting or hurting people. It is clear that the Government of Canada sets the mandate. Now, this very same Bank of Canada's governor has stated to employers that they are discouraged from increasing wages to keep up with inflation, which is ludicrous because there is absolutely no evidence that high wages have in any way contributed to inflation. In fact, wages have not kept up with inflation historically.
Does the Prime Minister agree with the Bank of Canada's discouraging employers from increasing wages to keep up with inflation?
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- Oct/19/22 3:39:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, many words have been used to describe Bill Blaikie: giant, legend, pillar. He was a giant in our movement, both in physical stature, as has been alluded to, and in his deep commitment to justice. He was a legend in the House of Commons. He held a deep respect for democracy and for the people he represented. He was a pillar of social gospel, a strongly held spiritual belief that we are called to fight against greed and to lift each other up.
He was a beloved husband and father, who instilled in his children a sense of adventure, as well as responsibility to use their talents to make the world a better place. I was incredibly lucky to be able to attend Bill's memorial service in Winnipeg. It was led in the most remarkable way by his children, Rebecca, Jessica, the member for Elmwood—Transcona and Tessa.
They recounted stories of a father who would spontaneously pull the car over to put the canoe in unexplored bodies of water, sometimes with unexpected but usually safe results. He was a father who could be counted on to deliver good advice and encouragement, and a father who had a passion for social justice and a deep love of nature, qualities he passed on to his children.
Bill loved the communities he served, whether he was in the church, his party or his neighbourhood of Transcona. He knew that his community had its roots in the railway, and he was dedicated to protecting those jobs and making sure they could sustain families in the future.
Bill understood that economic justice, social justice and environmental justice were all essential parts of our vision of a better Canada. He was a leading voice against increased globalization. He warned against the dangers of a race to the bottom where greed and profit were the priority, and people and the environment and protecting them against exploitation was seen as a barrier to free trade.
Bill was also a passionate champion of our public health care system. As the NDP health critic, he was instrumental in pushing the Liberal health minister at the time, Minister Bégin, to introduce the Canada Health Act to protect Canadians from having to pay for health care services. Both Bill and Minister Bégin told stories of how Bill engaged in guerrilla warfare in the House to make sure the act contained the necessary protections and, as is still the case, the minister depended on this pressure from the NDP to convince her colleagues to make the legislation better for Canadians.
Before it was ever fashionable, Bill was an environmentalist. He loved nature. He was an avid paddler and camper. He believed it was a part of our mission to protect the earth. In his final act of political life, as Manitoba's minister of conservation, he put these beliefs into action when he took measures to protect the boreal forest, a place that had nurtured him.
Bill loved Parliament. He was the dean of the House and served as Deputy Speaker. In 2007, he was named Parliamentarian of the Year by Maclean's magazine. He was an incredible speaker, and his speeches in this place were legendary, shaming the government of the day for ignoring the needs of the most vulnerable and laying out a path to a better and fairer future.
When Jack Layton was elected leader, he asked Bill to be his parliamentary leader since he did not yet have a seat in the House. Bill had finished second in that leadership race, which was a disappointment to him, but he put that aside and took on the challenge of leadership in the House, working closely with Jack, sharing his wisdom and advice with the new leader.
He also loved getting to know MPs from other parties and finding common ground with people who had a different view of the world. He could be hard on members in the House while still respecting their humanity and sharing a conversation over a meal.
He was fiercely proud of his Scottish heritage. Bill was one of the founders of the annual Robbie Burns night on the Hill, which he saw as another opportunity for MPs of different parties to meet each other outside of daily debate.
Listening to his children tell the story of Bill's life, it was clear he found his strength in two places: his faith and his family.
Bill's Christian faith informed his politics. For him, the calling to do good in the world required him to challenge injustice and those in power who allowed injustice to happen. He did not believe that the Bible should be used to justify a politics of hate and exclusion, but a politics of justice and equality.
Bill loved his family. The life of a politician is not easy on families. It means long days and lots of time away from the home. Bill's wife, Brenda, was the glue that kept the family together, and it is her more than anyone we must thank for sharing Bill with the country.
Bill delighted in time with his kids, being fully present for them. He made sure their time together was filled with bike rides, camping and canoe trips and sharing stories of his family and childhood in Transcona.
We are so fortunate to have Bill's son, the MP for Elmwood—Transcona, in the House and in our caucus. He carries on his dad's legacy, speaking truth to power, standing up to injustice and always defending the interests of the least powerful. Like his dad, he does not suffer fools gladly, but when people win his friendship, they know he will always have their back.
In his final years, Bill cherished time with his four grandsons, Robert, Owen, Noah and Emmet. Throughout his battle with cancer, he made sure to find the energy to make memories with the new generation of Blaikie kids. He took part in water pistol fights and played in the fall leaves with them just as he had with their parents. Bill made sure his grandchildren knew him and heard his amazing stories.
New Democrats across the country mourn the loss of Bill Blaikie, and we are so thankful for his life. He leaves a legacy of compassion, fairness and justice. His example reminds us that we are morally required not to add to the riches of those who have the most, but to meet the needs of those who have the least.
I extend my sincere sympathy to his family and our commitment that we will continue his work.
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