Press Releases

Latest Press Releases from Libby's office.

March 28, 2007

OTTAWA - Air Canada recently purchased an aviation maintenance facility in El Salvador that specializes in Airbus and Boeing aircrafts. Three weeks ago, the company announced major layoffs of more than 700 highly qualified aviation maintenance personnel in Vancouver. Further layoffs are expected to be announced in Winnipeg and Montreal. The virtual shut-down of these high quality maintenance facilities means that Canadian expertise built up over decades will be lost.

“This is just another sign of the Harper government’s refusal to take action for Canadian jobs. We have seen it in sector after sector. All of the substantial aviation maintenance expertise in Vancouver will be lost," said NDP Transport Critic Peter Julian (Burnaby-New Westminster).

March 28, 2007

MARCH 28, 2007 OTTAWA - BC NDP MPs were shocked to learn that the Conservative government decided not to contribute financially to the World Police and Fire Games to be held in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia from July 31 to August 9, 2009. The 2005 World Police and Fire Games held in Quebec City received $1.6 million dollars in federal support.

March 22, 2007

OTTAWA - "With workers' rights at stake, Liberal leader Stephane Dion joined the Conservative government to kill legislation that would level the playing field for workers in federally regulated industries during a strike," said NDP Labour Spokesperson Libby Davies (MP Vancouver East).

Bill C-257 had strong Liberal support at second reading, but the bill to ban replacement workers during a strike lost the final vote after a Liberal flip-flop that saw 29 Liberals switch their vote from yeas to nays.

March 20, 2007

OTTAWA - Libby Davies (MP Vancouver East) spoke out against today's federal budget for failing to close the prosperity gap in Vancouver East.

"With corporate tax cuts totalling $8 billion, today's budget will further widen, not shrink, the gap between those at the top end and middle-class and working families," said Libby Davies.

March 15, 2007

VANCOUVER - Libby Davies, David Chudnovsky, David Cadman and Heather Deal today released their response to Mayor Sullivan's Project Civil City. They represented Vancouver's NDP MP, 5 NDP MLAs, 4 Vision Councillors, 1 COPE Councillor, 3 COPE School Trustees and 2 COPE Park Board Commissioners.

"We, the undersigned elected officials in the City of Vancouver, wish to express our serious concern about Mayor Sam Sullivan's Project Civil City.

February 21, 2007

OTTAWA - The NDP today called on the government to fulfill the Conservative Party's 2006 election promise for a review of the largest and costliest construction crisis in Canadian history - BC's leaky condo crisis - and implement the Barrett Commission Inquiry's recommendation for financial relief.

Carmen Maretic, President of Consumer Advocacy and Support for Homeowners (CASH) Society was joined by six NDP MPs: Dawn Black (New Westminster-Coquitlam), Libby Davies (Vancouver East), Peter Julian (Burnaby-New Westminster), Penny Priddy (Surrey North), Bill Siksay (Burnaby-Douglas) and NDP Housing Critic Irene Mathyssen (London-Fanshawe). The group demanded that the new Federal Housing Minister, Monte Solberg, keep the Conservative campaign promise and act immediately.

February 13, 2007

OTTAWA - Strict changes to the requirement for voter identification could disenfranchise thousands of voters, say two NDP MPs. Paul Dewar (Ottawa Centre) and Libby Davies (Vancouver East) are raising concerns today about Bill C-31, an Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Public Service Employment Act.

The NDP is also concerned that Elections Canada will now have the authority to collect and share the birth date information of Canadian voters.

February 6, 2007

OTTAWA - Canada’s families need access to affordable, quality, public child care now, said NDP Child Care Advocate Olivia Chow (Trinity-Spadina) and the NDP BC caucus, one year after the Conservative government cancelled provincial child care agreements.

“The façade of ‘choice’ in Conservative child care has been thoroughly discredited,” said Chow. “Ordinary families are taking the brunt of this government’s stubborn refusal to admit that it’s wrong, that it hasn’t created any new spaces, and that child care is simply unaffordable for too many parents,” added NDP MP Libby Davies (Vancouver East).

January 22, 2007

VANCOUVER - The tragedy of the missing women from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside will generate enormous media attention as the trial begins January 22, 2007. As the Member of Parliament representing Vancouver East (including the Downtown Eastside), I want to express my support and sympathy to the families and friends of the missing women who continue to grieve and be exposed to the violent and horrifying experience of what happened to these women.

January 11, 2007

VANCOUVER - Over 100 people from Vancouver East came out to a local environmental forum on Thursday, to talk about what they can do to support the federal NDP plan to fight climate change.

Vancouver East NDP MP, Libby Davies, joined by party leader, Jack Layton, hosted a 100 Mile Breakfast Environmental Forum, and met with dozens of local community activists and individuals to discuss the NDP Green Agenda, and how Vancouver East and other communities can get involved locally and nationally, to stop the effects of climate change.