Leah Gazan

Faster fossil phase-down

The other end of this axis: Slower phase-down, production first

Excerpts repeat calls for urgent government action on the climate emergency, a green new deal, and meeting targets.

The bill recognizes the right of Canadians to a safe, clean, healthy environment as a human right. As we are witnessing around the country, individuals, especially young people, are concerned about the climate emergency.

Restrain spending and deployments

The other end of this axis: Higher spending and more capability

Questions funding 2% military spending via cuts to social programs and services.

However, who is going to fall victim to the cuts, especially because Canada has made a promise to increase military spending to 2%? Where is that money going to come from? Certainly the Prime Minister has not indicated that the money is going to come from taxing big corporations or putting in place an excess profits tax to make up for the economic deficit. Therefore my question becomes this: Where is he going to cut? The Prime Minister, in fact up until yesterday, after he was forced through a motion, refused to provide a budget prior to rising in the spring.

Restrict new oil and gas

The other end of this axis: Expand production and export

Excerpts criticize fossil fuel subsidies and call for ending them.

The member talks about the climate emergency, but the budget does nothing to end fossil fuel subsidies. This is concerning, because who is going to pay for it? It is certainly not big oil or big corporations.

Higher taxes and public spending

The other end of this axis: Lower taxes and tighter spending

Repeated calls for windfall and excess profits taxes on corporations and banks to fund social programs.

That is just one reason why we need a windfall tax on the excess profits of big oil and gas companies. Why a windfall tax? It is about ensuring that the big polluters, which are worsening the climate crisis, are paying for the action needed to address it.

Alliance restraint

The other end of this axis: Assertive alliances and sanctions

Calls for arms embargo, ceasefire and investigation of violations rather than support.

” It is the memory of my father, Albert Gazan, that inspires me to support this motion to end the injustices being committed in Palestine through the following measures: an immediate ceasefire and release of all hostages; suspending all trade in military arms and technology with Israel and increased efforts to stop the illegal trade of arms, including to Hamas; ensuring long-term funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in Palestine; supporting the prosecution of all crimes and violations of international law, including by the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court; ensuring that the Canadians trapped in Gaza are safely evacuated and lifting the arbitrary limit of 1,000 applications under the temporary resident visa; demanding the supply of continuous humanitarian aid to Gaza; banning extremist settlers from Canada and imposing sanctions on officials who incite genocide; advocating an end to the occupation of Palestine; and officially recognizing the state of Palestine.

Expand public coverage

The other end of this axis: More private delivery

Excerpts call for dental care, pharmacare and single-payer systems.

With all the tax breaks the government has spoken about, why is it not investing in this basic health care need for Canadians?

Public supply and demand controls

The other end of this axis: Market supply and deregulation

Excerpts demand federal indigenous-led housing strategy and criticize market failures.

In my riding, 70% of individuals experiencing homelessness are indigenous and over half were in child welfare.

Stronger unions and standards

The other end of this axis: More flexibility for employers

Supports unions, condemns corporate power over workers and falling real wages.

We are living in a growing corporate dictatorship where some of us are on lifeboats and some of us are sailing on yachts, where the privileges of corporations are increasingly usurping the rights of workers, Mother Earth, individuals and families, and where the divide between the haves and the have-nots is growing in favour of the ultrawealthy who are becoming richer by the minute while more and more people are finding it increasingly difficult to survive.