For the past several months I have stood several times in the legislature in defence of wild Pacific salmon. Folks might be wondering why? As a person of W̱SÁNEĆ heritage, I come from an ancient line of reefnet (SW̱OLE) fishermen. We have strong teachings about our relationship with all living things around us, even...
Apparently the truth is not a necessary component when claiming someone else is "mutilating the truth." In an attempt to smear the BC Green Caucus for standing up for what is in the interest of British Columbia, Resource Works has published a blog post about a question I asked in Question Period on Monday April 23, 2018. In the process, they let...
I have made it abundantly clear, I care a lot about wild salmon. It is the most important renewable natural resource on the coast of British Columbia. The provincial government is waffling on whether they are going to extend or cancel the permits for the open net pen fish farms in the Broughton Archipelago. They could...
Canada and British Columbia continue to act like resource colonies, supplying the world with raw resources. It has not always been like that we once had bustling coastal and rural communities that refined natural resources, adding value and manufacturing made in British Columbia products. So, while we chase Kinder...
Historically, as women enter professions, they have seen a reduction in both pay and prestige. This has been the case across the spectrum and is now being repeated in the attention to their mental health has received. While the gender pay gap is well known, the gender PTSD and workplace stress gap is less so. Work...
Government has introduced a Bill to address the growing problem with renovictions and compensating tenants who are evicted due to renovations, demolitions and manufactured home park closures. Balancing the need to upgrade rental units and keep housing affordable in an environment where the market is out of control is...
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neLDGQQo0QI[/embedyt] I hosted my latest Community Dialogue last Saturday, this time we talked about agriculture. It was an excellent event with about 30 people in attendance. We covered a lot of ground and my staff took notes of the conversation. Finding solutions to increase food soveriegnty will...
Protecting our coastline I responded to a Private Members' Motion that was originally put forward by MLA Dan Davies (Peace River North). As Mr. Davies is away, MLA Peter Milobar (Kamloops-North Thompson) put the motion on the floor. The motion is as follows... Be it resolved that this House urge the Government of B.C....
This week in question period I and my BC Green Caucus colleagues, Andrew Weaver and Sonia Furstenau, focussed our line of questioning on the natural gas industry. In late March, the provincial government announced an aggressive package of incentives to LNG Canada to attract a final investment decision on their project in Kitimat, BC. In fact, the...
You might remember the controversial firings of health researchers in 2012. It ended very poorly! Bill 13 amends the Public Service Act implementing recommendations empower the Merit Commissioner to review just-cause firings. In summary, four health workers were publicly dismissed and the government announced that...
Corporate welfare expanding... This week in Question Period my colleagues, Andrew Weaver and Sonia Furstenau, and I have been asking the government about their energy policy which is nothing more than an extension of the BC Liberals policy. Instead of establishing a visionary transformation to a low-carbon 21st...
Balancing landlord and tenant rights I am pleased to join the Rental Housing Task Force. Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Selina Robinson wants the task force to look into the Residential Tenancy Act and seek ways to balance landlord and tenant rights with the goal of increasing the rental housing stock. These are complex issues. There are...
There is a shocking and growing disconnect between human beings and all the other species that we share planet earth with. It is time to sharpen the edge, sharpen the focus and apologize to our ancestors and frankly do better for our children and grandchildren. Thank you to Emily Olsen for sharing these beautiful...
On Saturday March 24, 2018 we hosted our fourth Community Dialogue. Twenty-five community members joined us in our constituency office in Sidney to discuss the transportation needs on the Saanich Peninsula and Southern Gulf Islands. Saanich Peninsula residents bring transportation ideas to MLA Peninsula News Review Hugo Wong Published: March 26,...
Each year millions of people visit Greater Victoria and the vast majority come through the Saanich Peninsula either via our award-winning international airport or though our ferry system. But, it is not just tourism. The peninsula is home to many well-established industrial and commercial enterprises. Our ports also move billions of dollars of...
Today the provincial government announced the much anticipated changes to the speculation tax. Here are some initial responses to the removal of the Southern Gulf Islands from the tax. There is a lot more to analyze and I will be commenting further in the future. “Since the government announced the speculation tax, I heard from many concerned...
They work in a second floor space above my 2013 provincial election campaign office in Brentwood Bay. Their footprint is very light, but the work they are doing could revolutionize rural and remote medicine around the world. They are Caffeinated Turtle Enterprises and the Canadian office of 19 Labs, a Silicon Valley tech company. Together they...
Following a six-month pilot project for a youth health clinic started by Dr. Kate Evans, it appears it is here to stay! There was need not just for physical but also for mental health support and Dr. Evans' program not only got the support of the South Island Division of Family Practice, Peninsula Medical Clinic, the...
What is up with the advertising spending? During the last four years of the BC Liberals the BC NDP harshly criticized the former government for spending millions of dollars of taxpayers money on what amounted to partisan campaign ads. Well, recent reports have come out that even though we have an NDP government, the...
In Budget 2018, the provincial government proposed several measures in an attempt to deal with a massive housing affordability crisis in British Columbia. One of the measures was a "speculation tax" which was part of the BC Green Caucus housing policy announced in earlier this year. There have been many concerns...
I had the opportunity to celebrate the provincial government's commitment to Indigenous language revitalization. I thank BCNDP MLA Bowinn Ma for her powerful response. This is a transformative step in our long journey of reconciliation. [Transcript] Adam Olsen My name is SȾHENEP. I grew up in the WJOȽEȽP village of...
Seeking clarity I have heard from many constituents, particularly on the Gulf Islands, on their concerns about how the speculation tax might impact them. The legislation to implement this tax will not come until the Fall. While the government has stated there will be exemptions, they have yet to provide full clarity on what they will look like....
For four straight days in Question Period me and my BC Green colleagues have been asking government about their wild fish policy. We have noted that up to six different provincial ministries and one federal department all have responsibility for this file. Essentially, the policy is fractured, leaving wild salmon and...
In our ongoing series, about how government plays an essential role in working to support the dedication and passion of people and organizations in our communities, I turn my attention to the Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust. Their project called "The Root" received a $100,000 grant from the Rural Dividend Fund last...
Budget 2018 has some good news on transportation. There are a handful of policy changes that will help decrease the costs for people who live in ferry dependent communities. Commitments were made to invest transit which I welcome in Saanich North and the Islands and the Capital Regional District. [Transcript] This...
In Budget 2018, the British Columbia government makes a transformative investment in the restoration of Indigenous languages. Our province is the most linguistically diverse in Canada and many Indigenous languages have been lost or are near extinction. Reconnecting to language is a critical step forward in...