Even though the Conservatives deny it, too many Canadians are out of work.

Protecting the lives of pedestrians and cyclists and preventing fatalities: Olivia’s new Bill C-344 calls for mandatory sideguards so that collision victims are not crushed by rear wheels of heavy trucks.

Ms. Olivia Chow (Trinity—Spadina, NDP): Mr. Speaker, every year, Canadian cyclists and pedestrians die needlessly when they are sucked under the back wheels of large trucks. Twenty-five years ago in Europe, truck side guards were made mandatory. As a result, cyclists’ deaths in Britain were cut by 61%. Having side guards may have saved the [...]

With the national transit strategy set forth in this bill we have the chance to show that leadership and move Canada forward. If we do so we will have a positive impact on the lives of all Canadians. There is an urgent need for national leadership, so let us not miss the bus this time. Let us not pass the buck and say that public transit is not the jurisdiction of the federal government. Let us take the lead.

September 21, 2011 Ms. Olivia Chow (Trinity—Spadina, NDP): Mr. Speaker, whether it is the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto or Montreal’s Champlain Bridge, Canada’s major infrastructure is crumbling, leaving too many Canadians with a white-knuckle drive to work. At the same time, the IMF said today it predicts Canada’s unemployment rate is going to rise above [...]

Ms. Olivia Chow (Trinity—Spadina, NDP): Mr. Speaker, Canadians spend, on average, 75 minutes a day getting to work, which is 32 working days a year. Days wasted being stuck in traffic is costing the economy $5 billion a year.

Olivia Chow’s speech in the House of Commons Ms. Olivia Chow (Trinity—Spadina, NDP): Madam Speaker, five months ago the Prime Minister of the Conservative government appointed the president and CEO of Canada Post. He gives the president CEO a half million dollar salary and a 33% bonus so that means he earns three-quarters of a [...]

Ms. Olivia Chow (Trinity—Spadina, NDP): Mr. Speaker, in the 1990s, the federal deficit was downloaded onto the backs of Canadian communities. Twenty years later, Canadians are stuck in traffic, our bridges are crumbling, our water systems are failing. Friday’s throne speech ignored municipalities and infrastructure completely. Canadians deserve a vision, a national public transit strategy. [...]

Olivia Chow (Trinity—Spadina, NDP) Statment in the House of Commons during Question Period, March 24, 2011: Mr. Speaker, 85-year-old Vera Cudjoe is anxious and worried because she cannot afford her $260 hydro bill. She tried turning off the heat to save money but got desperately sick. Vera was a nurse and the proud director of [...]

Canada has a proud history of protecting U.S. soldiers who protest unjust wars. From the Vietnam to Iraq, soldiers who stood up for their values have always able to find a home here. Thanks to the Liberals, that may soon change. High-ranking Liberals, including leader Michael Ignatieff, walked out on a vote in Parliament that [...]

As part of her mission to find practical solutions for you, Olivia has voted to:  Strengthen the Canada Pension Plan  Remove the wait period for EI benefits  Restrict offshore drilling for oil  Establish concrete targets for greenhouse gas emissions  Restrict the Prime Minister’s power to prorogue Parliament  Allow flexible [...]

Ms. Olivia Chow (Trinity—Spadina, NDP): Mr. Speaker, today’s G20 report shows that Canadians are still traumatized by what happened and are still looking for answers.      To date no one has stepped forward to claimed responsibility for the massive assault on people’s right to free speech and to freely assembly. No one has been held accountable.  [...]

In the weeks since Stephen Harper announced his mean spirited and short-sighted cuts to immigration settlement and adaptation services, I have been leading the fight in Parliament to restore funding to these important agencies. As the New Democrat member of the Citizenship and Immigration Committee, I pushed the committee to study the impact these cuts [...]

 In Parliament at Question Period: Ms. Olivia Chow (Trinity—Spadina, NDP): Mr. Speaker, Canadians should not have to wait for seven years to be united with their parents. In Beijing and New Delhi alone, 20,000 parents are stuck waiting in the queue. Some parents have died waiting to live with their children and some never got [...]

    Madam Speaker, we are here talking about Motion No. 10, a closure motion. It is about shutting down debate. That is why I am going to speak about democracy.     If the members choose to heckle, they must be afraid of what we have to say as members of Parliament. They do not want [...]