Home

Press Releases

Latest Press Releases from Libby's office.

Libby and the NDP for a National Minimum Wage
October 31, 2006

OTTAWA - Today, NDP MP Peggy Nash (Parkdale High Park) will introduce a bill in the House of Commons that will re-establish a federal minimum wage and set it at $10 an hour.

"Canada is considered a low wage country with high rates of poverty," said Nash, who is the NDP's lead critic for Toronto. "It is time for the federal government to show leadership in the area of income security."

NDP to Harper: Stop Ignoring Women; Equal Pay for Equal Work
September 27, 2006

OTTAWA - NDP Spokesperson for Labour, Libby Davies (Vancouver East) and NDP MP Jean Crowder (Nanaimo-Cowichan) called today on the Conservative government to enact the recommendations of the Pay Equity Task Force, and legislate pay equity in Canada.

"After Monday's multi-million dollar cuts to the Status of Women, Aboriginal health programs and adult literacy programs, it is no surprise that the Conservatives have rejected a report that calls for pay equity," said Jean Crowder.

NDP MPs Call for an Inquiry into Canada's Foreign Worker Program
September 20, 2006

OTTAWA - NDP Spokesperson for Labour, MP Libby Davies (Vancouver East), NDP Spokesperson for Immigration, MP Bill Siksay (Burnaby Douglas), and NDP Spokesperson for International Trade, MP Peter Julian (Burnaby-New Westminster), spoke out today in solidarity with BC Federation of Labour protesters, calling for fairness and equality for workers under Canada's Foreign Worker Program (FWP).

The legitimacy of the FWP permit process, and the program's overall contribution to addressing and improving Canada's skill and labour needs, are in serious doubt, and the NDP has called on the Conservative government for an immediate review of this program.

NDP Accuses Clement of Looking for Excuses to Kill InSite
September 1, 2006

OTTAWA - NDP Leader Jack Layton and Vancouver East NDP MP Libby Davies today accused Health Minister Tony Clement of plotting to close the heralded safe injection site, despite prominent Canadian and international drug policy experts' call to keep InSite open.

"If Tony Clement wanted to keep Vancouver's safe injection site open, he wouldn't have travelled to Sweden-a country with no safe injection site and one of the most restrictive drug policies in the E.U.- looking for excuses to close InSite," said Libby Davies.

Libby Davies Calls for Immediate Renewal of Health Canada Exemption to Save Safe Injection Site
August 11, 2006

AUGUST 11, 2006 - VANCOUVER - NDP MP Libby Davies (Vancouver East) is calling for the immediate renewal of a Health Canada exemption to allow North America's only Safe Injection Site, InSite, to continue to operate, and put an end to the uncertainty facing staff and users of the site.

"The human cost is too high for the government to stall on renewing this program," said Davies. "The theme of this year's World AIDS Conference is Time to Deliver, and it couldn't be a more appropriate message for federal Health Minister Tony Clement," she added.

NDP MPs Call for Inquiry into Canadian Deaths in Lebanon
July 31, 2006

VANCOUVER - After a July 28th meeting with a distinguished delegation of Lebanese Canadians who expressed their concern about Prime Minister Harper's stance on the deaths of 12 Canadians in Lebanon, NDP MPs Libby Davies (Vancouver East), Dawn Black (New Westminster-Coquitlam), and Peter Julian (Burnaby-New Westminster) are calling on the Canadian government to hold a public inquiry into their deaths.

"The Canadian government has a duty to defend Canadians both in Canada and abroad," said Davies, NDP House Leader and Labour Critic. "In the Prime Minister's attempts to gain favour with US President Bush, Mr. Harper has failed in his responsibilities to protect Canadian citizens."

NDP Welcome Chinese Head Tax Apology as Important First Step
June 22, 2006

OTTAWA - NDP Leader Jack Layton said today that the official apology finally presented in Parliament this afternoon was a first step toward righting the historic wrongs of the Chinese Head Tax and Exclusion Act. "This is important not just for the head tax survivors, but for all Canadians, who will now see that justice has been done," said Layton.

NDP to Cannon: Air Safety Must Come First
May 19, 2006

OTTAWA - - Federal NDP MPs are holding press conferences in Ottawa, Toronto, Halifax and Vancouver today to decry the federal Conservative government's move to reduce passenger safety by cutting the number of flight attendants required on Canadian planes. Lobbyists from the airlines have been pushing for these cutbacks.

"This is a clear reduction in safety standards," said NDP Transport Critic Peter Julian (Burnaby-New Westminster). "The NDP is opposed to lessening Canadian air safety standards to conform to weaker American ones."

NDP calls on Prime Minister to Meet His Promise for Redress for Chinese Head Tax Payers and Their Families
May 10, 2006

OTTAWA - NDP MPs Olivia Chow (Trinity-Spadina, Libby Davies (Vancouver East), Paul Dewar (Ottawa Centre), Wayne Marston (Hamilton East Stoney Creek) and Bill Siksay (Burnaby Douglas) called on Prime Minister Stephen Harper today, to keep his promise to the Chinese Canadian community.

Early in his mandate, Prime Minister Harper had publicly promised an official apology and redress to the Chinese community for the Head Tax. However, during the Throne Speech and in subsequent comments by both the Prime Minister and his Parliamentary Secretary Jason Kenney, the Conservatives have ignored the issue of redress.

Corporate Tax Cuts Won't Help Working Families
May 3, 2006

VANCOUVER - Vancouver East MP Libby Davies says today's Conservative federal budget doesn't provide the serious investment that's needed for most Canadians. It doesn't warrant serious consideration for NDP support in Parliament.

"This budget is a lost opportunity for families, workers, students and low income Canadians," Davies said. "Instead of investing in new child care spaces, more affordable education, a cleaner environment, a better EI program, the Conservatives want to squander the surplus on more corporate tax cuts. Harper seems to have a long term vision for corporations, but not for children," she added.