Chris in the Commons

Ms. Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain, NDP):

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today and join my NDP colleagues in speaking against Bill C-20, the nuclear liability and compensation act. In fact, we are the only party in this House that refuses to give the government a blank cheque on this inadequate reform to the limits of nuclear liability.

Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to be participating in this evening’s debate on motion M-300 which calls on the government to enhance access to, and the level of, GIS benefits for Canada’s poorest seniors.

Let me say at the outset that I fully support this motion.

Ms. Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, last week I introduced a bill to fix EI so new moms could access their regular EI benefits if they lost their jobs during or after their maternity leave.

I challenged the government to act by Mother's Day. That is this Sunday, and new moms are still waiting.

The meagre EI extension that the minister constantly trumpets does absolutely nothing for a new mom who cannot access those regular EI benefits in the first place.

Chris Charlton (NDP, Hamilton Mountain):

Mr. Speaker, the maple leaf is a symbol of our national goals and aspirations. Canadian troops put their lives on the line for the values symbolized by the maple leaf. It speaks to our pride as Canadians.

But today that pride is diminished. In the middle of a manufacturing meltdown, this Conservative government out-sourced the production of Canadian flag pins to China. Why is the Prime Minister giving our tax dollars to foreign factories? Why doesn’t the Prime Minister support Canadian jobs?

Ms. Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, the current EI system penalizes new mothers. The anti-stacking provision prevents mothers who have secured maternity and parental benefits from accessing regular EI benefits if they lose their jobs.

I brought forward a bill that would finally bring fairness to working mothers by eliminating this unfair provision. I challenge the minister to adopt my bill which would fix these inequities before Mother's Day. Mothers deserve more than chocolates and flowers this Mother's Day. They deserve fairness and action.

Ms. Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain, NDP): Mr. Speaker, the current EI system penalizes new mothers. The anti-stacking provision prevents mothers who have secured maternity and parental benefits from accessing regular EI benefits if they lose their jobs.I brought forward a bill that would finally bring fairness to working mothers by eliminating this unfair provision. I challenge the minister to adopt my bill, which would fix these inequities, before Mother's Day. Mothers deserve more than chocolates and flowers this Mother's Day. They deserve fairness and action.

New Democrat MP calls on government to fix EI maternity leave inequities before Mother’s Day

OTTAWA – With layoff announcements coming almost daily, new mothers often return to work, only to lose their jobs soon after. Shamefully, many are finding out that they no longer qualify for Employment Insurance they have paid for.

New Democrat Labour Critic, Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain), will introduce a bill this week that fixes provisions in the EI Act that unfairly penalize mothers accessing maternity and parental leave.

Chris Charoton (NDP, Hamilton Mountain):

I rise today to join with people from across this country to mourn workers who have died on the job, to extend our sympathy to workers who have been injured on the job, and to express solidarity with their families, friends, and co-workers.

Ms. Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, I am tabling a petition today, signed at a Hamilton forum on job losses, co-chaired by our federal leader, the member for Toronto—Danforth, and Andrea Horvath, the newly elected NDP leader in Ontario.

The workers signed the petition almost to a person, especially after listening to Shannon Horner-Shepherd's heartbreaking story about her struggle to support her disabled daughter, Gabby, and her other three children after losing her well-paying job at U.S. Steel.

Ms. Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government has completely abandoned the innocent victims of this recession, and now, to add insult to injury, the Prime Minister has decided that this is the perfect time to link arms with Dalton McGuinty to increase taxes on everything from children's shoes to electricity.

Conservative economic policies got us deeper into this mess, and now they are about to make it a whole lot worse.