Irene in Parliament

Ms. Irene Mathyssen (London—Fanshawe, NDP):
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleague from Sackville—Eastern Shore for introducing this very important bill. (C-201)

The men and women who serve our country deserve to be treated with the utmost respect and dignity. Sadly, as the rules stand now, many retired RCMP and Canadian Forces members are not, and were not, respected by the current government or its predecessor.

OTTAWA – The Auditor General, Shelia Fraser, released a report today that outlines how the government has failed to apply gender based analysis (GBA) to government programs. The report clearly outlines the failure to implement the 1995 “Federal Plan for Gender Equality”.

The report states that, “despite the government commitment to GBA that has continued since 1995, there is no government-wide policy requiring that departments and agencies perform it. The existence and completeness of a GBA framework varied considerably among the departments we examined.”

“This is 14 years of failure by Conservative and Liberal governments to live up to their obligations and their commitments to gender equality in Canada,” said Irene Mathyssen, NDP critic for the Status of Women.

Dear Constituents,

April has been a busy month, both in our riding, and in the House of Commons.

On April 23, 2009, CBC National News interviews more mothers who have been fired without severance pay and who are told they are not eligible to collect Canadian employment insurance. Federal MP and NDP Status of Women Critic Irene Mathyssen challenged the Conservative Government in the House of Commons to change the rules to protect parents returning to work following parental leaves.

Ms. Irene Mathyssen (London—Fanshawe, NDP): Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with my colleague from Nanaimo—Cowichan.

In these tough economic times, it is crucial that consumers are protected from companies whose priorities lie with shareholders and in making as much profit as possible as opposed to the public interest.

The motion before us today, and I am very proud that New Democrats have sponsored it, is in the public interest. New Democrats are calling for immediate action to protect consumers from credit card interest rates and fees that are increasing by leaps and bounds. We want to put an end to unfair penalties and gouging.

Usury has been illegal for centuries, but consumers are at the mercy of credit card companies and have been at this “untender” mercy for far too long. The latest increases in credit card rates and fees, combined with the economic recession, has resulted in families being unable to pay their mortgages, businesses shutting down and unbearable debt loads.

Dear Friends,

London area residents know that the area has been hit hard by the financial crisis. Many people are losing their jobs and need to access Employment Insurance (EI).

Hearings will focus on loss of local stations and voices

Ottawa – Parliamentary hearings are set to begin to examine the unprecedented crisis in local television programming. The hearings were proposed by NDP Heritage Critic Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay) at the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. The committee will hear testimony on the impacts of the dramatic downturn in local programming.

NDP MP Irene Mathyssen (London-Fanshawe), who brought the concerns of the hundreds of Londoners who have contact her office regarding the recent loss of local programming on “A” TV London to Angus’s attention last week, welcomed the hearings as action long overdue.

Ms. Irene Mathyssen (London—Fanshawe, NDP):