SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 252 - Nov/21/23

Ms. Rachel Blaney (North Island—Powell River, NDP)

Nov/21/23 10:08:53 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is an honour to be here to speak on behalf of my constituents of North Island—Powell River, many of whom signed this petition. They note that OAS, old age security, payments were increased by 10% for seniors 75 and older in July 2022 and that seniors aged 65 to 74 have not received that increase. That means over two million seniors were left out by the Liberal government's decision to create a two-tiered system for OAS. We know that across this country, the cost of living is increasing and is having a very profound effect on seniors, who often have a fixed income and cannot afford basic necessities. Seniors are asking the government to change that and make sure there is not a two-tiered system but one system and that OAS is increased for all seniors, including those from 65 to 74.

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Context: House Hansard - 252 - Nov/21/23

Ms. Rachel Blaney (North Island—Powell River, NDP)

Nov/21/23 11:05:49 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, we get to hear that member speak a lot, and I guess we do our best to enjoy it. My question about the legislation is incredibly important. I have a lot of constituents who represent organizations that work on behalf of the community of persons living with disabilities. They talk about the many challenges they face in travelling. The Auditor General of Canada published a report in March of this year entitled “Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities”. It examined the accessibility of federally regulated transport services. Between 2018 and 2020, 2.2 million persons with disabilities travelled. Those were the ones who were willing to take that risk. A lot of people choose not to travel simply because they are not treated in a way that is encouraging and inclusive. Of those 2.2 million people who used transportation during that time, 63% faced significant barriers. That concerns me. This bill takes some steps in a direction that are somewhat positive, like ensuring that data is available to the public. That leads to more accountability. It would require service providers with the federal transport system to establish a process for dealing with accessibility complaints. The report from the Auditor General stated clearly that the Canadian Transportation Agency had insufficient tools and enforcement staff to address all of these barriers. Does the member agree with the NDP that we should see more inclusion of these organizations and people living with disabilities, as we figure out these regulations moving forward?

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Context: House Hansard - 252 - Nov/21/23

Ms. Rachel Blaney (North Island—Powell River, NDP)

Nov/21/23 12:36:12 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, in 2018-19, the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities undertook a study on the impact of aircraft noise within the vicinity of major Canadian airports. One of the recommendations was to implement public noise consultation committees, which this bill would implement. We know that community groups have expressed concerns that these committees would be a hollow gesture. There is nothing that would guarantee their ability to be heard or that public input would be implemented moving forward. Could the member talk about why this is important? How important is it for us to look at this bill at committee to change some of those things so the people's voices can be heard?

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