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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 282

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 14, 2024 02:00PM
Context: House Hansard - 282 - Feb/14/24
Ms. Lisa Marie Barron (Nanaimo—Ladysmith, NDP)
  • Feb/14/24 4:36:12 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am presenting a petition on behalf of constituents and volunteer firefighters in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith, including those working at the Gabriola, Ladysmith and Lantzville extension; and East Wellington, North Oyster, North Cedar, Nanoose and Nanaimo fire stations. Volunteer firefighters account for 71% of Canada's total firefighting essential first responders. In addition, approximately 8,000 essential search and rescue volunteers respond to thousands of incidents every year. These essential volunteers not only put their life on the line and give their time, training and efforts to Canadians, but also allow cities and municipalities to keep property taxes lower than if paid services were required. Increasing the tax credit would allow these essential volunteers to keep more of their hard-earned money, likely to be spent in the communities in which they live, and would help retain these volunteers in a time when volunteerism is decreasing. For these reasons, those who have signed the petition are asking to increase the amount of the tax credit for volunteer firefighting and search and rescue volunteer services from $3,000 to $10,000.
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Context: House Hansard - 282 - Feb/14/24
Ms. Lisa Marie Barron (Nanaimo—Ladysmith, NDP)
  • Feb/14/24 5:19:10 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am happy to see this bill come back with reasonable Senate amendments and to see it move forward. I want to acknowledge the incredible work of my colleague, the MP for Winnipeg Centre, for all her work to get this moving forward. The question I have is around the lack of a workforce strategy. Despite the ask of unions and workers across the country to address the shortage of workers and ensure they have the pensions, wages and benefits required to deliver child care in an effective way across the country, there was no follow-through. Could the member share why this was the case?
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Context: House Hansard - 282 - Feb/14/24
Ms. Lisa Marie Barron (Nanaimo—Ladysmith, NDP)
  • Feb/14/24 5:54:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, first and foremost, I want to share that I agree with many of the comments made by my colleague about the importance of Canadians having access to French-language child care and early learning. The member was speaking about money not growing on trees and the importance of child care being effectively funded. I have frequently heard the Conservatives talk about privatized child care. We know that, when child care is public, it is increasingly accessible and available and that workers have livable wages, for example. Could the member share his thoughts around using public tax money for privatized child care? What is the importance of funding public child care with public funds?
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Context: House Hansard - 282 - Feb/14/24
Ms. Lisa Marie Barron (Nanaimo—Ladysmith, NDP)
  • Feb/14/24 6:07:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my question for the member is actually building on what my colleague was just talking about, which is around the fact that we know that Quebec's system of affordable child care has been a model for the rest of the country. I am wondering if the member can share with us the benefits they have seen in Quebec in terms of gender equity, of women and all parents accessing child care, and of the quality of the child care that children have been receiving.
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Context: House Hansard - 282 - Feb/14/24
Ms. Lisa Marie Barron (Nanaimo—Ladysmith, NDP)
  • Feb/14/24 6:33:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her powerful speech, yet again. My colleague talked about the importance of a strong workforce strategy. I wonder if she can share with us the benefits of a strong workforce strategy to the little ones that she was talking about, which she enjoyed working with so much.
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