Leah Gazan

Mr. Speaker, Claims · 71 wordsearlier this year on International Workers’ Day, I asked the Liberal government why it continued refusing to support my bill, NDP Bill C-247, to repeal section 107 and stop violations against workers’ right to strike.¹ This bill is supported by workers and unions across Canada. In response, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Jobs deflected her government’s failures and advised that consultations were ongoing concerning changes to the Labour Code.² Procedure · 8 wordsToday, the cat is out of the bag.Procedure Claims · 75 wordsWe learned that the Liberal government has done these consultations and is putting forward an omnibus bill, Bill C-39, trying to turn back the clock on workers’ fundamental rights by expanding the minister’s ability to shut down a strike and violate workers’ rights whenever the Liberals and their CEO buddies deem it inconvenient, ³⁴as we saw with port workers, flight attendants and rail workers. Of course, they did consult with the CEOs who will benefit. Positioning · 18 wordsIt is not only a historic insult to workers, but also an immense threat to workers’ constitutional rights.Positioning Claims · 35 wordsWe know that right now there are countless families, communities and individuals being devastated by Trump’s tariffs. Nobody is arguing with that.Unearned certainty Nobody is arguing that we are not in a cost of living crisis.Unearned certainty Positioning · 107 wordsInstead of addressing this, the government is siding with CEOs, and instead of giving workers the relief they need to lift up their rights as workers, the Liberals have caved into the wish lists of corporations across this country by pushing forward Bill C-39 and violating their constitutional obligations to uphold the rights of workers, the rights of indigenous peoples and important environmental laws, even after a summer of disastrous wildfires during which we saw communities and homes literally burn to the ground. This past summer, the Liberal government saw what was going on, and once again it has doubled down in favour of its corporate buddies.Positioning Claims · 12 wordsI want to be clear that workers do not want to strike. Positioning · 38 wordsWho wants to go on strike to get a reduction in pay, be out of work and be more financially worse off than they are when they are working and being ripped off by the Liberals’ corporate friends?Positioning Claims · 11 wordsWorkers have rights, and these rights are protected in international law. Reasoning · 31 wordsThe right of workers to walk off the job in solidarity is the only collective means to push back against powerful corporations and CEOs as the Liberal government lines its pockets. Positioning · 22 wordsThis so-called Canada strong plan is being built off the backs of people, workers, indigenous people, our environment and a livable planet.Positioning Reasoning · 33 wordsThe NDP is very firm in its belief that we must protect the rights of workers. We must protect workers’ rights, and that includes the right to strike and free and collective bargaining.