Senator Yonah Martin

Bill C-59: An Act Respecting National Security Matters  Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, I rise today to speak on Bill C-59, An Act respecting national security matters. Bill C-59 is divided into nine parts and does many things. I would like to focus on just one element in this legislation, which has understandably received considerable attention from the public, particularly from exasperated parents whose innocent children have been wrongly affected du…

Third Reading Speech on Bill S-244 Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, I rise today to speak to Bill S-244, An Act respecting Kindness Week at third reading. I would like to thank Senator Jim Munson again for bringing the bill forwardand inspiring a heartfelt debate in this chamber. Click here for more...

UNSUNG HEROES OF CANADA AND KOREA Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13. It is Dr. Gale’s revised King James version and his English-Korean dictionary that filled my father’s heart with such promise and hope, even as a young lad oppressed during colonial rule and made to feel inferior because of his ethnicity, and allowed him to hold fast to his dreams. Click here for more...

Tribute to The Hon. Betty Unger Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to our former colleague, the Honourable Senator Betty Unger, who retired from the Senate of Canada on August 20, 2018. Prior to entering politics, Betty dedicated her life to helping others as a registered nurse and founded and operated a successful Alberta nursing services company with offices located in Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary. Click here for more...

Support Services for Veterans Hon. Yonah Martin (Acting Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, my question is for the Government Leader in the Senate. It relates to the service delivery at Veterans Affairs Canada. Thousands of veterans dealing with physical and mental illnesses continue to wait a very long time to begin treatment. An Order Paper answer recently tabled in the other place revealed that for the fiscal year 2017-18, over 3,000 veterans waited for more than a year to recei…

THE LATE MAJOR-GENERAL (RETIRED)HERBERT C. PITTS, M.C., C.D. Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to our Korean War heroes, and more particularly to the legendary Major-General Herbert C. Pitts, who recently passed away.More than 27,000 Canadian heroes of the Korean War stepped forward when the need arose, from all walks of life, from all corners of our country. What distinguished the Canadians from the Americans, the Brits, the…

CHUSEOK - MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, I rise today on the occasion of the mid-autumn festival and Chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving, which was celebrated September 23 to 25 by Canadians of Asian descent from coast to coast to coast. Fourteen countries in East and Southeast Asia, including Korea, China, Vietnam and Singapore, celebrate this annual holiday season with family, friends and community. Each fifteenth day of the eighth mon…

KINDNESS WEEK BILL SECOND READING—DEBATE CONTINUED Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, I rise today to speak to Bill S-244, An Act respecting Kindness Week. This bill enacts the third week of February to be known as ‘‘Kindness Week’’ throughout Canada on an annual basis. Let me begin by thanking Senator Jim Munson for bringing this bill to our attention, and as a kind critic of the bill I am happy to stand in support of the bill. Click here to read more…

Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to our colleague and my dear friend, Senator Anne Cools. Appointed to the Senate in 1984, she has witnessed and shaped Canada’s history as a parliamentarian for over three decades. A dedicated public servant, a strong advocate for social justice and a champion of family rights, her many accomplishments are an example of what it truly means to be a profound leader.  Click here to read more...

Honourable senators, I rise on this occasion to put on record my concerns about Bill C-74, the budget implementation act, 2018, and to speak to this report. This bill implemented provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament last February, as well as a few new provisions that were not included in the original budget. I’m deeply concerned about this bill, which was unexpectedly rushed through the Senate during Routine Proceedings. While Canadians from coast to coast to coast are preparing to c…