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...
I welcomed leaders of the Salt Spring Island Chamber of Commerce into the Legislature to discuss workforce housing challenges on the Island. Addressing this critical issue is just one part of the complex housing and community sustainability challenges facing rural, remote and coastal communities, especially on the...