HARPER CONSERVATIVES CONTINUE TO IGNORE PLIGHT OF VALE-INCO WORKERS

OTTAWA, April 16, 2010 — In response to questioning today by Labrador MP Todd Russell, the Harper Conservatives showed that they are still doing nothing to help resolve the ongoing strike at Vale-Inco operations in Canada.

“The labour dispute has been going on for months,” Russell said, “yet the Conservatives show little interest in either the plight of the workers involved, or in the harm it is doing to the economy.”

Russell says he will continue to press all parties to work towards a resolution of the strike, which involves Vale-Inco operations both in Labrador and Northern Ontario.

A preliminary transcript of today’s exchange in the House of Commons follows below.

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Mr. Todd Russell (Labrador, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, for eight long months hundreds of workers in Labrador and thousands in Sudbury have been out on strike at Vale-Inco operations. Families are suffering, communities are hurting. The Conservatives have taken a hands-off approach, abandoning workers, while in Labrador scab labour keeps filling the pockets of the company.

When foreign interests take over, they are supposed to ensure a net benefit to Canadians.

Will the government stand up for Canada's interests and hold foreign companies accountable? Will the government stand up and tell Vale Inco to get back to the table, negotiate in good faith, and demonstrate there truly is a net benefit to Canada?

Mr. Mike Lake (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry, CPC): Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned to the previous hon. member, we do continue to monitor the situation. We hope that it gets resolved quickly in the interests of the people of Sudbury and the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The hon. member rightly points out that this is an issue of provincial jurisdiction.

We continue to monitor the situation and continue to look out for the best interests of all Canadians.

Todd Russell, MP

Labrador

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