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Latest Press Releases from Libby's office.

Public Inquiry Only Acceptable Course of Action
August 18, 2010

Libby Davies renews her call for inquiry into murdered and missing women

Vancouver- Libby Davies (MP Vancouver East) renewed her call today for a public inquiry into the murdered and missing women of the Downtown Eastside.

“The families and friends of the murdered and missing women deserve answers as to why the disappearance of their daughters, sisters, mothers and friends were overlooked for so long. A public inquiry is the only acceptable course of action,” said Davies.

Libby Davies calls for an end to the criminalization of medical marijuana users
July 30, 2010

“The raids on Canada’s Compassion Clubs are an attack on patient’s rights and must stop,” said NDP MP Libby Davies (Vancouver East).

After years of openly supporting medical marijuana users in their communities, a number of compassion clubs in Quebec and Toronto have been shut down.

The clubs serve patients with chronic illnesses and have emerged largely in response to the gaps and problems with federal Marijuana Medical Access Regulations. The BC Supreme Court ruled in 2009 that the program is unconstitutional and needs to be changed, yet the Conservatives have failed to respond beyond the most minimal legally necessary changes.

NEW DEMOCRAT MP LIBBY DAVIES SPEAKING AT 2010 WORLD AIDS CONFERENCE
July 20, 2010

Davies to participate in panel on leadership for HIV/AIDS

OTTAWA – New Democrat MP Libby Davies (Vancouver East) is in Vienna, Austria for the 2010 World AIDS Conference. She is a panelist for the session Providing Leadership on Critical HIV/AIDS Issues, featuring Members of Parliament and government representatives from South Africa, Nepal, Austria and Kenya.

Davies was invited to attend the international convention because of her work around harm reduction and fighting HIV/AIDS, specifically her work with Vancouver’s safe injection site InSite. Her presentation is entitled “Why parliamentary leadership on harm reduction and the rights of people who use drugs is important, what barriers exist and how they can be overcome.”

The panel will be held Wednesday, July 21, 2010 from 11:00 – 12:30 CEST.

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NDP Calls For Hearings On G8/G20 Security
June 30, 2010

On behalf of the NDP Caucus, the NDP Critic for Public Safety, MP Don Davies is calling for parliamentary hearings on G8/G20 Hearings.

NEW DEMOCRATS MAKE FORMAL REQUEST FOR COMMITTEE HEARINGS ON G8/G20 SECURITY

OTTAWA – New Democrat Public Safety and National Security Critic Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway) has written a letter to recall the House of Commons Public Safety committee to study all issues surrounding security at the G8 and G20 summits.

The letter has been circulated to other parties for their signature, and will trigger a committee meeting within five days of its receipt by the committee clerk.

Libby receives Solidarity Award
June 20, 2010

Vancouver- NDP MP Libby Davies (Vancouver East) was awarded the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) Solidarity Award on Saturday night at the Tri-annual NUPGE Convention in Vancouver.

Presented by the newly re-elected NUPGE president James Clancy, the award was given to Libby for her outstanding work for human rights for housing and homelessness.

The award recognizes Davies’s bill for a national housing strategy, Bill C-304. The bill is currently before the House of Commons and could have a final vote as early as the fall.

Charter challenge shows government inaction on housing
May 27, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHARTER CHALLENGE SHOWS GOVERNMENT INACTION ON HOUSING SAYS NDP MP DAVIES

OTTAWA – “It is shameful that Canadians are forced to take the government to court for decent housing and housing support,” says New Democrat Housing and Homelessness Critic Libby Davies (Vancouver East).

“It speaks volumes about the housing crisis in Canada and need for federal leadership on the issue.”

Davies was responding to a landmark legal challenge filed Wednesday by four individuals and the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation. The applicants are challenging the Federal and Ontario governments under sections 7 and 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, asserting government policies have not only failed to address homelessness and inadequate housing, but that their inaction has contributed to the problem.

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia
May 17, 2010

STATEMENT BY NEW DEMOCRATS ON THE INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA AND TRANSPHOBIA

OTTAWA—On this International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia, New Democrats stand in solidarity with members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, trangender and transexual (GLBTT) communities in the movement to transform our society to one free of homophobic and transphobic prejudice and violence.

“New Democrats have long supported the full equality and security of GLBTT people, here in Canada and around the world. That's why we've placed trans rights firmly on Parliament's agenda with our bill to add gender identity and expression to the Canadian Human Rights Act, and to the hate crime and sentencing provisions of the Criminal Code. It's also why we sponsored a motion that received unanimous support in the House of Commons denouncing the ‘Anti-Homosexuality Bill’ being considered by the Ugandan Parliament,” said Bill Siksay, New Democrat Critic for GLBTT Issues.

Siksay's Private Members Bill (C-389), which would establish full and explicit human rights protection for transsexual and transgender Canadians, was debated on May 10th and will likely come to a vote in the House in June.

“Observances like International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia give us the opportunity to take stock of our progress, and recommit to a country and world where acceptance is the reality and violence and hatred are not tolerated,” added New Democrat Leader Jack Layton.

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Libby Davies Named NDP Spokesperson for Housing And Homelessness
May 7, 2010

Ottawa – NDP Libby Davies (MP Vancouver East) has been named the NDP’s Spokesperson for Housing and Homelessness.

“Fighting for adequate and safe housing is the reason I got involved in politics over 30 years ago,” said Davies. “With my bill for a National Housing Strategy before the House, and my experience with the issues, I welcome the opportunity to take on this portfolio.”

National Day of Mourning
April 28, 2010

Dear Friends,

On this National Day of Mourning we pause to honour the women and men who have lost their lives or been injured at work, and recommit to enforce the laws and standards for better workplace safety.

Sincerely,
Libby

Statement by New Democrat Leader Jack Layton on the National Day of Mourning

Today New Democrats across the country mark the National Day of Mourning and honour those men and women who have been injured or killed on the job.

Since the Canadian Labour Congress first created the Day of Mourning in 1984 we have seen successive governments pledge to support workers. In addition to new legislation on workplace safety, the government needs to provide the resources to enforce these laws.

In 1991, the House of Commons adopted a New Democrat Bill to proclaim April 28th as the National Day of Mourning for workers killed or injured on the job. In the 19 years since, the number of workplace fatalities has only been increasing. In the last decade, that increase was a staggering 35 per cent. No one should leave their home in the morning wondering whether today is the day that they die on the job. Every single workplace death and injury is preventable.

We have an obligation to act. We have an obligation to enact and enforce laws that prevent occupational fatalities and diseases. We have an obligation to ensure that every workplace is safe.
Let this be the year that we finally see the statistics start to improve. Let this be the year that we finally see the strengthening of labour and safety standards and improved enforcement.

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On International Women's Day 2010
March 8, 2010

Statement by New Democrat Leader Jack Layton on International Women’s Day

Women and men around the world recognize International Women's Day as a time to reflect upon and celebrate women’s social, political and economic achievements, both globally and locally. In this country, much progress has been made since Canadians first marked International Women’s Day in 1977.

Sadly, there is still much work to be done. Women across the world continue to suffer extreme poverty, violence and violations of their basic human rights.

Last month, the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action and the Canadian Labour Congress sent the United Nations a detailed report on the statistical decline in Canadian women’s equality and rights. The groups cited “systemic erosion” in the status of Canadian women since 2004.