Rodger Cuzner, MP

Conservative Government Creating Uncertainty for the Seasonally Employed

OTTAWA— Liberal critic for Human Resources & Skills Development and Labour Rodger Cuzner made the following statement today on the Conservative government’s ongoing attempt to create uncertainty for the unemployed and seasonally employed:

“The Harper Conservatives are using the Budget to unilaterally determine what work Canadians do and where they do it or risk losing their benefits.

“New blanket rules within the Budget Implementation Act allow the Prime Minister to arbitrarily decide what qualifies as “suitable employment” and how far Canadians must travel from their families and communities to find that work. Stephen Harper and Human Resources Minister Diane Finley have been making Canadians stew, while they attack those who are seasonally employed or who find themselves unemployed through no fault of their own.

“This Conservative government is deliberately keeping Canadians in the dark in order to impose these changes with minimal opposition. The Human Resources Minister herself is pleading ignorance, taking a wait-and-see approach to these sweeping EI changes.

“Canadians are understandably anxious about this government’s secret plans to change the EI system. They deserve a clear and frank explanation from the Prime Minister as to what powers he is giving himself, how he plans to use them, and the effects they will have on Canadian workers and their families.”

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Statement on the Westray Coal Mine Tragedy

OTTAWA— Liberal Human Resources & Skills Development and Labour critic Rodger Cuzner made the following statement today to commemorate the Westray Coal Mine tragedy:

“Twenty years ago today, a spark deep in the southeast section of the Westray Coal Mine in Nova Scotia triggered a massive explosion that trapped and killed 26 miners. The force of the blast shattered windows and shook homes in nearby Stellarton and New Glasgow.

Today, we remember those miners who died a needless death–deaths that were the result of greed, mismanagement and failed government oversight.

Rescue teams and draegermen worked tirelessly and in treacherous conditions in search of survivors. Their bravery and heroism captivated the nation and put a spotlight on worker safety and corporate accountability. Their efforts led Parliament, under the leadership of my former colleagues Liberals Martin Cauchon and Andy Scott, to unanimously pass the Westray Bill.

The Westray Bill was a positive step, but we are reminded today that more can and needs to be done to improve worker safety and corporate accountability in our country.”

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Cuzner deeply concerned over cuts to Parks Canada in Cape Breton-Canso

DOMINION, NS – Cape Breton-Canso M.P. Rodger Cuzner made the following statement today in reaction to the Conservative government’s cuts to Parks Canada yesterday:

“The tourism industry in Cape Breton-Canso will be hard hit by these cuts across the board but I’m especially concerned about the slashing of jobs and hours at Fortress Louisbourg, one of Parks Canada’s greatest treasures and the largest national historic site in the country.

“This means a shorter tourism season, fewer hours for seasonal workers who depend on the Fortress and the other Parks Canada sites for their livelihoods and a reduction in business for local restaurants, gas stations and bed-and-breakfasts. The cuts will also impact students who are already struggling to find summer work because the government closed student summer job centres.

“It’s deeply disturbing that the Conservative government does not see the value in these sites, the people who work so hard to keep them going, and the communities that depend on them.”

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For more information:

Laurel Munroe
Communications Manager/Executive Assistant
Rodger Cuzner, MP
Cape Breton-Canso
902-842-9403 (office)
902-574-1705 (mobile)

http://rodgercuzner.liberal.ca

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