Fisherman's Road

The following questions were posted today (Feb. 27th) during Question Period in the House of Commons. Mr. Ryan Cleary (St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NDP): Mr. Speaker, the tragic death of Loretta Saunders , an Inuk woman from Labrador, is felt deeply in my province, as it is across Canada and with every member of this House. As one indigenous leader put it: “There’s something wrong in Canada if aboriginal people have to live this fate”. We here, the elected representatives of the people, have a duty to act. Will the government agree to call a national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women?   Hon. Kellie Leitch (Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women, CPC): Mr. Speaker, first, let me express my condolences to the family and friends of Loretta Saunders. The one thing I will note is that our government has taken concrete action to deal with the tragic issue of murdered and missing aboriginal women. In fact, in economic action plan...

I gave the following 10-minute speech in the House of Commons on the  Conservative Fair Elections Act on Monday, Feb. 24th.   Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of the motion put forward by the hon. member for Hamilton Centre that there should be nation-wide public hearings into the fair elections act, a bill better known more and more across this country as the unfair elections act.   The member for Hamilton Centre proposes that this House direct the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs to hear from witnesses while undertaking its study of the Canada Elections Act. What witnesses? Elections Canada, political parties, the Minister of State (Democratic Reform) who introduced the “fair” elections act, representatives of first nations, anti-poverty groups, groups representing people with disabilities, groups that speak for youth, advocates, students and Canadians in general everywhere. Further, the motion calls on the committee to tr...

I gave the following one-minute statement in the House of Commons today (Friday, Feb. 14th, 2014). Mr. Speaker, Much of the island of Newfoundland is being battered today by a winter storm, a somber reminder of this day, 32 years ago, when a vicious blizzard struck the province, eventually bringing down the indestructible drill rig Ocean Ranger in the early morning hours of Feb. 15 th . Eighty-four men lost their lives. Hearts are always heavy in my province on Valentine’s Day. The tragedy of the Ocean Ranger highlights the terrible price we pay as a seafaring people. It also highlights how fast and badly things can go wrong, and enforces our need for the highest of health and safety regulations. I end with a quote from the great Canadian songwriter, Gordon Lightfoot, which captures the waiting ... waiting for word of life or death. “Does anyone know where the love of God goes, When the waves turn the minutes to hours?”

I posed the following question today (Friday, Feb. 14 th ) during Question Period in the House of Commons. Mr. Speaker, The Conservatives are allowing Marine Atlantic, a Crown corporation, to jack up ferry prices to Newfoundland — again. As of April 1 st , the cost of a ferry to and from Newfoundland will jump 3 per cent. Over a three-year period, rates will have risen by 11 per cent. When ferry prices go up, the price of all goods ferried to Newfoundland ALSO go up. And our tourism is hugely impacted. Mr. Speaker, Why are Conservatives allowing Marine Atlantic to increase rates and punish Newfoundlanders?

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans has launched a study of the challenges and benefits of the proposed Canada/EU free-trade deal (the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement). On Wednesday, Feb. 12, the committee questioned Patrick McGuinness, president of the Fisheries Council of Canada. The following are my questions and McGuinness' answers:   Mr. Ryan Cleary (St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NDP): Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you, Mr. McGuinness, for your presentation. Coming from St. John's South-Mount Pearl in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, I can tell you, sir, the overwhelming response from all sectors of our fishing industry is positive to this deal.  When it comes to processors, the processing Association; when it comes to the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador; and when it comes to the union, the Fish, Food, and Allied Workers' Union, which represents plant workers, fishermen, and trawlermen, everybody...

With Canada playing Norway at the Olympics (Thursday, Feb. 13th), TVs are set up in the Speaker's Office just off the Commons to check in on the game. Liberal MP Scott Andrews (Avalon) and I posed for a pix. My apologies, couldn't keep the elbow down. 

Mr. Speaker, I stand today (Feb. 5th) to present a petition on behalf of constituents of my riding of St. John's Sout-Mount Pearl. The petition contains 1,551 signatures of people calling on the Conservative government to reverse recent cuts to Canada Post services - including home delivery - and to look, instead, for ways to modernize operations. The signatures were gathered in a two and a half hour blitz on Jan. 25th, and reflect my riding's overwhelming support of a treasured public service.

Members of the Atlantic caucus of the federal New Democratic Party of Canada were photographed recently on Parliament Hill with Leader Tom Mulcair. (L-R) Peter Stoffer (Sackville-Eastern Shore, NS), Yvon Godin (Acadie-Bathurst, NB), Jack Harris (St. John's East, NL), Mulcair, Megan Leslie (Halifax, NS), Robert Chisholm (Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, NS), and Ryan Cleary (St. John's South-Mount Pearl), chair of the Atlantic Caucus.