Hélène Laverdière

Statement on International Development Week

International Volunteer Day

Ms. Hélène Laverdière (Laurier-Sainte-Marie, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, Wednesday was International Volunteer Day.

In my riding, as in ridings across the country, many people give their time and expertise to support various causes in their communities. Thousands of people also volunteer in developing countries to help eradicate poverty, provide health care and education, and support democratic development.

I am referring to organizations such as SUCO, the Solidarité Union Coopération, which aims to build solidarity between peoples, as well as citizen participation, in order to create sustainable development based on egalitarian relationships. There is also Canada World Youth, which enriches the lives of young people who want to become true citizens of the world.

It is because of the hard work and solidarity of such organizations and their volunteers that we will be able to build a better world for one and all.

Hélène Laverdière salutes the employees of Rights & Democracy - June 5, 2012

June 5, 2012

Hélène Laverdière salutes l'Action Centre-ville

October 22 2012

Rights & Democracy

Ms. Hélène Laverdière (Laurier-Sainte-Marie, NDP) - June 5, 2012

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute the staff of Rights & Democracy, a great Canadian organization that will, unfortunately, be closing its doors in July.

Rights & Democracy was created in 1988 by an act of Parliament that received unanimous approval. Its mandate was to promote respect for human rights and the development of democracy abroad. It was doing exceptional work in many places, including some of the most dangerous areas of the world.

The organization is being abolished, but as Jean-Louis Roy, former president of Rights & Democracy, told me recently, the organization is not dying. It will live on through all those it has helped throughout the world.

I will be hosting a non-partisan reception for the staff of Rights & Democracy on the Hill on June 14. I invite all my fellow MPs to attend this reception and to join me in thanking the employees of Rights & Democracy for their service.

AIDS Community Action Program

Mr. Speaker, last December we asked the federal government about the unreasonable delays in tendering projects for the AIDS community action program. Now there are further delays, but this time the problem lies with funding approvals.     It is March 30. If these organizations, which do extraordinary work, are denied funding, they will be forced to close their doors on Monday. They have not yet heard anything.

These organizations will be told on very short notice whether they will be able to pay their experienced and competent employees, and they run the risk of losing all the expertise that has benefited the entire community. A whole group of people is anxiously hanging by a thread.

How can this government boast that it is a competent and efficient manager when this type of botched management is becoming the norm?