Joyce Murray » News

Conservatives Must Stop their Attack on the Not-for-Profit Sector

Joyce Murray — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:03:23 +0000

For Immediate Release
May 14, 2012

Conservatives Must Stop their Attack on the Not-for-Profit Sector

OTTAWA — Tonight in Ottawa, Vancouver Quadra MP Joyce Murray will host a discussion on the Conservative government’s attack on the non-profit and charitable sector, attended by leaders from several NGO “umbrella” organizations, and Liberal MPs and Senators.

Millions of Canadians volunteer and donate to NGOs and charities to help build a better Canada and a better world. This sector employs millions and is worth billions of dollars to Canada’s economy with very little cost to taxpayers.

Liberals are consulting with non-profits to find ways to support their efforts.

“The Conservative government is engaged in a political witch hunt designed to muzzle or punish anyone who disagrees with them,” noted Murray. “If you are an NGO and you don’t agree with the government, they will undermine you, audit you, demonize you, and eliminate your funding. This ideological bullying has got to stop!”

Liberal International Cooperation critic Mark Eyking issued a press release today asserting that the Conservative government’s decision to axe funding for the Canadian Nursing Association’s (CNA) International Partnership Program shows that their international development priorities are out of line with Canadians.

He noted that besides the $380 million cut from poor countries, the Conservative government has denied funding for most NGOs doing hard work in these countries, including one of the most dedicated and effective of these groups, the Canadian Nurses Association. Through their global health partnership program, Canadian nurses have worked with these associations in over 40 countries for more than 35 years.
The CNA’s CIDA-funded program, the Strengthening Nurses, Nursing Networks & Associations Program (SNNNAP) was forced to shut down on March 31, 2012, as a result of the Conservative government’s decision to cut its funding.

Mr. Eyking also emphasized that nurses are critical to improving the health outcomes of any country, and the CNA’s work via their global initiative program has proven that a long-term aid approach will produce sustainable results. While Minister Oda is out wasting our tax dollars on lavish five-star hotels and $16 glasses of orange juice, her government is cutting valuable programs like SNNNAP that assist the world’s most vulnerable. It is time that the Conservatives re-evaluate their skewed priorities and re-fund this program so that Canadian nurses can continue their legacy at home and around the world.

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For more information contact:

Office of Joyce Murray
613-992-2430
604-664-9220

MP Joyce Murray on the Conservative governments attack on charities.

Joyce Murray — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:01:35 +0000

MP Joyce Murray asks the Conservative government why they have ramped up attacks on charitable organizations across Canada.

MP Joyce Murray on Hunger Awareness Week

Joyce Murray — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:36:48 +0000

MP Joyce Murray brings attention to the importance of Food Banks across Canada.

MP Joyce Murray asks what effect Bill C-38 will have on small business.

Joyce Murray — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:48:24 +0000

MP Joyce Murray asks MP Carol Hughes what effect Bill C-38 will have on rural economic development and how this budget will impact small and mediums sized enterprises and tourism.

MP Joyce Murray on election fraud

Joyce Murray — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:27:08 +0000

MP Joyce Murray asks once again when the Conservative government will call a Royal Commission to investigate the allegations of election fraud.

MP Joyce Murray on Bill C-38

Joyce Murray — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:07:53 +0000

MP Joyce Murray asks MP Sean Casey what effect the decline of international tourist visits by 15% in addition to the Canadian tourism commission budget cuts of 20% are having on Prince Edward Island.

MP Joyce Murray on the Conservative crime agenda

Joyce Murray — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:12:27 +0000

With prison violence increasing over 37% in five years putting both guards and the public at risk, MP Joyce Murray asks the Conservative government when it will realize its crime agenda is doing more harm than good.

Conservatives Reject Trade and Tourism Jobs as Expo 2012 Opens without Canada

Joyce Murray — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:51:43 +0000

For Immediate Release

OTTAWA– The Conservative government’s decision not to participate in Expo 2012 in Yeosu, South Korea will have a damaging effect on trade and tourism jobs in Canada, said Liberal Small Business and Tourism critic Joyce Murray today.

“The number of international tourists visiting Canada has fallen 15 per cent over the past six years and the Conservatives’ response is to pass up opportunities to showcase Canada, like the World’s Fair,” said Ms. Murray. “This is yet another Conservative attack on our tourism industry which has already had to endure the government’s elimination of the GST Visitor Rebate and 20 per cent cut to the Canadian Tourism Commission.”

The previous World’s Fair in Shanghai was a tremendous success for Canada, with 6.5 million people visiting the Canada Pavilion. The business, trade and bilateral program facilitated dozens of meetings, and led to the signing of nine Memoranda of Understanding and agreements. Expo 2012 is being hosted by South Korea with whom Canada has been negotiating a free trade deal for the past seven years.

“The Bank of Canada recently noted that 85 per cent of Canada’s exports are still bound for our G7 partners and a handful of other European countries which are all expected to experience some of the slowest rates of economic growth over the next few years,” said Ms. Murray. “The fact that we are missing out on an opportunity to sell Canada in a region where huge growth is expected is a clear indication that the Conservatives don’t take expanding our trade ties with Asia-Pacific seriously. If we want to attract investment, businesses and tourists to Canada in order to create good jobs then we need to be at events like Expo 2012 selling Canada to the world.”

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Contact:

Office of Joyce Murray
613-992-2430
604-664-9220

MP Joyce Murray on Affordable Housing

Joyce Murray — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:41:21 +0000

MP Joyce Murray stands before the House in an effort to raise awareness of the importance of affordable housing in Canada and calls on the Conservative Government to take a leadership role and begin to work effectively for families in need of assistance.

MP Joyce Murray on Hunger Awareness Week

Joyce Murray — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:51:38 +0000

Every day, nearly two million Canadians wake up not knowing where their next meal is coming from. Every month, nearly 900,000 Canadians rely on food banks. Of those, 38 per cent are children.

Think about that: hundreds of thousands of children across Canada rely on food banks every day for basic nutritional needs.

In my own community, the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society collects and distributes food for over 25,000 people weekly through 16 food depots and over 100 community agencies.

Yet hunger remains a hidden issue in Canada. So today, I and my staff in both Ottawa and Vancouver are fasting so we can feel what it’s like to go hungry for an average day and to bring the needs of hungry Canadians into the open. Several of my colleagues in the House of Commons are doing the same.

I ask all Canadians to join me during Hunger Awareness Week and consider donating food, money, or time to help reduce hunger in our communities. Together, let’s make food security a reality for all Canadians.

Click here to learn more about what you can do to be part of the solution.