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Libby speaks out on the Senate Reform Act

November 22, 2011 Speeches in Parliament

You can also view this speech at: http://www.youtube.com/user/LibbyDaviesMP#p/a/u/1/TAbOwpLPslA

HANSARD
House of Commons
November 22, 2011

Ms. Libby Davies (Vancouver East, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to speak at second reading on Bill C-7, pertaining to the Senate. As many of my NDP colleagues have outlined today in the House, we have a lot of concerns about the bill.

The first thing I want to point out is that this is the third time the Conservative government has introduced this legislation. Despite repeated campaign promises of an elected Senate that go back even to the Reform days, the Conservatives have let it go so long that it makes one wonder whether it is indeed a priority for them.

On examining the bill, the NDP sees several major issues of concern that leave me unable to support the bill. I think the most basic premise of the bill is that it brings forward measures that are really half-measures, measures that are not going to fundamentally deal with what is a very undemocratic institution.

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Libby asks for accountability from the Conservative government

February 18, 2011 Question Period

House of Commons
HANSARD
February 18, 2011

Ms. Libby Davies (Vancouver East, NDP) :

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the government House leader used the word “courageous” eight times during question period, once describing a wounded veteran, but seven times referring to the Minister of International Cooperation and twice already today.

Let us see, courage is misleading a parliamentary committee and pretending bureaucrats recommended this decision.

Real courage is showing leadership, acknowledging our mistake and taking responsibility. When will the government stop talking the mindless talking points and take responsibility for this gross misconduct?

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Libby speaks up about CRTC Appointee

February 7, 2011 Question Period

House of Commons
HANSARD
February 7, 2011

Ms. Libby Davies (Vancouver East, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, let us take a look at the qualifications required to be appointed vice-chair of the CRTC: extensive knowledge of the legislative framework and mandate of CRTC; an understanding of the relevant global, societal, economic trends, stakeholder concerns, the government's policy agenda and how it relates to the CRTC; knowledge of the regulatory environment for broadcasting and telecommunications industries; knowledge of broad issues related to media convergence.

How does Mr. Pentefountas fit any of these criteria?

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Libby on voter fairness

May 27, 2009 Speeches in Parliament

In December 2008, I wrote to Elections Canada’s Chief Electoral Officer to convey my concerns about the many problems voters faced in the last federal election because of changes made to the Elections Act under Bill C-31. The new laws require photo I.D. and restrict the use of vouching for people who aren’t on the voters list. Hundreds of people in East Van had problems because of these changes.

I raised these issues again with the Chief Electoral Officer at the Parliamentary Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. Below is an excerpt from my questions at the Committee.

Parliamentary Committee on Procedure and House Affairs
May 26, 2009

Ms. Libby Davies (Vancouver East, NDP): Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And thank you to the witnesses and their CEO for coming today.

I want to follow up on an issue I've raised many times before, and that has to do with voter identification. I know you got a number of submissions from MPs. We certainly sent one from Vancouver East. This goes back to Bill C-31. I don't want to lay it at your feet, because you didn't suggest it. But you have to live with it.

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Libby on Afghan MP Malalai Joya

May 21, 2009
rabble.ca
Harper’s hypocrisy: Two years of silence on Malalai Joya from ConservativesOn May 21, 2007, Malalai Joya – the young MP dubbed “the bravest woman in Afghanistan” by the BBC – was unjustly suspended from the Afghan National Assembly. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in Afghanistan on that day and, two years later, has still yet to make any statement about Joya’s mistreatment. “Canada’s participation in this war in Afghanistan has been justified with rhetoric about women’s rights, yet Harper and the Conservatives remained silent when Malalai Joya was ousted from her elected position and again did nothing meaningful when Karzai signed the anti-women provision which sanctioned rape in marriage,” said Parvin Ashrafi, a women’s rights activist with the Iranian Centre for Peace, Freedom and Social Justice and a member of Friends of Malalai Joya -- Canada.
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Libby on government tactics to avoid election

May 20, 2009
The Daily Gleaner
Tories use scheduling tactics to avoid electionOTTAWA - The Conservatives are poised to kill off any chance of a spring election by using the parliamentary calendar to delay a possible non-confidence motion from the Liberals. The Tories have told some of their rivals that they will push back the Liberals' so-called opposition day - their easiest opportunity to table a non-confidence motion - to June 17. Such a move would leave opposition parties with two options: trigger a rare midsummer election with a national vote July 27 at the earliest, or keep the government alive until later this year.
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Libby Speaking on Voter Engagement

April 17, 2009
The Globe and Mail
MPs' Commons voting records now onlineOTTAWA — Want to know how your MP has been voting in the House of Commons? Finding out has just become a whole lot easier. The House of Commons website has launched a feature that allows visitors to see how MPs voted. Friday's change brings Canadian transparency one step closer to the system in the United States — where Congress regularly posts voting results within an hour, and has detailed records going back 20 years.
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