I provided the BC Green Caucus response to the Ministerial Statement delivered by the Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Hon. Nathan Cullen, regarding the removal of the residential school at Lower Post in Kaska Dena territory. [Transcript] To my colleague from Richmond-Queensborough, HÍSW̱ḴE...
June is Pride Month. My two minute statement celebrates the powerful advocates who have fought to ensure that everyone can be unapologetically themselves. [Transcript] June is Pride Month. To celebrate, I want to start by looking back. The month of June was chosen to celebrate Pride in commemoration of the Stonewall...
Today I rose to response to the Ministerial Statement on the burial site of Indigenous children at Kamloops Residential School. [Transcript] I rise today to respond to this ministerial statement. Today my family and the entire B.C. Green caucus team stands with our relatives in the Interior. We wrap our arms around...
A new longhouse is currently under construction in Tsawout First Nation on the Saanich Peninsula. This is an important and exciting project that is well underway. Tsawout is currently fundraising to cover some of the remaining costs and they are inviting the public to make a contribution. You can learn more about the...
I had the honour of responding on behalf of the BC Green Caucus to the Ministerial Statement delivered by Premier John Horgan on the passing of Thomas Berger. Mr. Berger was a powerful advocate for Indigenous rights and title, former B.C. Supreme Court Justice, Member of Parliament and Member of the British Columbia...
All governments have a responsibility to support each other in the collective effort to build welcoming, diverse and inclusive communities. Communications is critically important. Bad communications that lacks information can often turn a difficult situation into an impossible one. I address this in this statement....
I had the honour of responding on behalf of the BC Green Caucus to the Statement from Minister George Heyman on Earth Day. [Transcript] Today on Earth Day national governments are meeting to announce new climate targets. They acknowledge that a certain amount of global warming is already locked in. This is already...
In my two minute statement I spoke to a critical teaching from my home territory W̱SÁNEĆ about the importance of looking after each other, all species as if they are our relatives. [Transcript] There is an important teaching in W̱SÁNEĆ. We are reminded of the teaching through the stories of the Creator, XÁLS. Landing...
In this two minute Statement I reflect on the culture of territorial acknowledgements that is now become common practice in the British Columbia legislature. These acknowledgements lack meaning when they are not followed with the concrete actions of reconciliation. I used the example of the eagerness of the Members to...
The provincial government has opened community consultation on the Keating X Road flyover project and wants your feedback. Also, with a third Salish class vessel ready to serve the Southern Gulf Islands BC Ferries is seeking public input into a new ferry schedule. In this two-minute statement I thank the people of...
In the first Members Statement of the 42nd Parliament I turn my attention to the responsibility we have as MLA's to govern for all British Columbians, the impact of COVID-19, and the fragility of our services. I turn my attention to the important work of food banks and then state my commitment to work toward poverty...
British Columbia has officially been in a public health emergency since April 2016 due to the opioid crisis that is devastating families and communities across the province. Since then more than 5600 British Columbians have died from an illicit drug overdose. It is both tragic and unacceptable....
The training and experience I gained from working for a decade in the hospitality industry is an important part of my journey in community service. Today I acknowledged those years and raised my hands to the people who helped shape those experiences for me. In addition, in this time when the tourism and hospitality...
I delivered the BC Green Caucus response to Premier John Horgan's Ministerial Response to the serious public health and economic disruptions caused by COVID-19. The impact of this virus is unlike anything we have experienced before, the global response is unprecedented. It was a surreal day in the British Columbia...
I am deeply concerned with the state of relations with Indigenous people in British Columbia and Canada. The dysfunction is a result of decades of government policy. To de-escalate the tensions that are simmering dangerously close to a rolling boil, leadership must come from the halls of Parliaments across the...
In my final statement of the decade I acknowledge the career and passion of Cathy Cook. From the start of my tour of the Saanich Seed Orchard & Nursery, Cathy demonstrated her deep passion for her work. When I heard she was retiring after nearly four decades of service to our forests I knew I needed to highlight...
For my first two-minute Members Statement of the 2019 Fall session I celebrated the lives of three incredible constituents of Saanich North and the Islands. This year we have lost Vern Michell, Patrick Lane and Bill Foster. Each have made important contributions to our community and our province. It's certainly...
It was a powerful morning in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia with first reading of Bill 41 (The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act). This is the culmination of generations of work by Indigenous leaders to fundamentally change the relationship with the British Columbia government. I will...
The BC Green Caucus is committed to changing the current BC NDP approach to managing old-growth forests. These ancient creatures are the largest and oldest on earth. They are a non-renewable resource and while the Minister of Forests claims that his Ministry is developing a management plan they continue to auction of...
There is a growing movement of acknowledging the territory of Indigenous people. It has become a familiar opening to meetings and events run by government.It is an important evolution in Canadian society. But, we must continue to challenge the status quo and demand better. It is critical that we know why we do these...
Over the past week the BC Green Caucus has been raising substantial concerns about money-laundering. There is a crisis in our government institution and as an MLA we have a responsibility to address it head-on. [Transcript] There's a crisis of confidence in this institution. Thinking back to the thousands of stories I...
I have stood and spoke on behalf of wild salmon in the Legislature dozens of times in 2018. This was possibly the last time I would be able to advocate for them this year. In my final statement of this year I highlight the stories about our relatives the wild salmon, the work at the Howard English Hatchery and my hope...
I had the opportunity to stand and acknowledge the work of Character Canada and Character Abbotsford. The focus of this powerful organization is to "inspire character, enable leaders and influence community." As they state it is not about being the character police or demanding perfection but rather "living through...
Ken Curry is the last living veteran of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry and the ill-fated Canadian contingent that raided the beaches of Dieppe. He is 96 years old and lives in Sidney, BC. In a few days we will be honouring our veterans on Remembrance Day. I stood in the house and spoke to the sacrifice they make on...
For the past 38 years, Saanichton farmer Mike Fleming has donated the Christmas tree to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. At the end of October Mr. Fleming died suddenly of a heart attack while harvesting Christmas trees in the Kootenays. I had the honour of remembering Mike Fleming on behalf of the whole...
BC Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver called for an emergency debate in the BC Legislature to respond to the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations (http://www.ipcc.ch/) "on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels and related global...