The BCNDP government laid out their priorities in Budget 2018. I have laid out my initial thoughts on the budget, both positive and negative, in this video. Our goal shouldn't be just to simply fix the shortcomings of the last 16 years. As leaders, we need to champion a clear plan for British Columbia. We need a...
I remain concerned about the government's response to rapid decline of Steelhead trout in the Thompson and Chilcoten Rivers. These fish have been listed as near extinction with only a few dozen fish returning to spawn. Many Steelhead are caught inadvertently, as by-catch, in the Chum salmon gill-net fishery. In...
I get a lot of questions as your MLA and some of the most challenging have been on the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). In recent weeks we have received a high volume of letters to our office about two ALR issues: the Creating Homefulness Society on Woodwynn Farm, and a proposed cannabis production facility at Stanhope Farm. These are two very...
My colleague Andrew Weaver asked the government about the objective of the housing policy announced in Budget 2018. He did not receive a clear answer. I continued to press government through Finance Minister, Hon. Carole James, on the objective of her budget. Is the goal to stabilize demand, bring down the curve of...
We need a plan! The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife of Canada has recently initiated a seldom used fast track process and concluded that the Thompson and Chilcoten Steelhead trout are at imminent risk of extinction. I asked the Minister of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural...
Throne Speech 2018: We are ready! Today I responded to Throne Speech 2018. I am happy with the direction our government is taking. I support the approach. Despite the speech being light on details, I outlined several opportunities in Saanich North and the Islands where we can work with government on many of the...
Making smiles on the Saanich Peninsula The Oral Care for Children and Adolescents Dental Clinic Society (ORCCA) helps children who do not have dental insurance or whose parents cannot afford dental care. In short, they do great work out of an annex at Sidney Elementary. Today, I not only celebrate ORCCA but also what...
On Wednesday, January 24, 2018, we had the honour of hosting Hon. Adrian Dix (Minister of Health) to a Town Hall in Sidney. Health and wellbeing is a priority topic in Saanich North and the Islands and across British Columbia. In January, our community outreach program called The Public Circle, hosted two meetings with health professionals and...
Sonia and I have been trying to visit the fish farms in the ‘Namgis territory since early November. The Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw first nations have been publicly opposed to open net fish farms for the past 30 years. Recently, their fight has become very public. Broken promises and betrayal... We travelled into the territory to tour the fish farm...
Check out the January 2018 email newsletter HERE!
I am on the Public Accounts Committee. In January, we are meeting four times to review and receive the backlog of reports from the Auditor General. "It is in committee that we find common ground." Committee work is some of the most rewarding work in the Legislature. The political divisions diminish and nine MLA's focus on the task at hand. It is...
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkGmOYcFKQg[/embedyt] [Correction! The Jan.24/18 event with Hon. Adrian Dix starts at 6:30pm and doors open at 6:00pm] This morning we hosted an excellent public discussion about health and wellbeing in Saanich North and the Islands. During the month of January we are doing extensive consultations about...
Since my election last May, many of our meetings in the constituency office have been about health and well being. Several important issues have been raised from people and organizations delivering health services in our riding as well as from people who wanted to share their personal experiences with our health system. We quickly realized we...
Housing is out of reach! There is no question, housing remains a top issue in our riding and across British Columbia. Housing continues to be a primary focus for me and my BC Green caucus colleagues, Sonia Furstenau and Andrew Weaver. We demanded urgent action on the housing crisis repeatedly throughout the fall session of the Legislature,...
In the months following the election I have had many meetings about health and wellbeing. We have met with both health service providers and citizens. With so much of the provincial budget dedicated to healthcare, it is important the system is working effectively and that waste is minimal. So, in January we have focussed our community outreach...
The Confidence and Supply Agreement between the BC Greens and BC NDP committed government to take bold action in changing the relationship with Indigenous people. Each member of Cabinet is mandated to deliver on this commitment. As a result, every Minister will be evaluated by how effective they are. It is a measure of success and failure. It is...
B.C. GREEN CAUCUS For immediate release December 18th, 2017 B.C. Green caucus responds to the end of the grizzly bear hunt VICTORIA, B.C. - “After years of work on this file, my colleagues and I are absolutely overjoyed this decision has finally been made. The results of the government’s consultation were clear and government has listened – we...
B.C. GREEN CAUCUS For immediate release December 14, 2017 B.C. Green Caucus respond to Ajax mine decision VICTORIA, B.C. - Today the B.C. Green Caucus responded to the news that the B.C. Government decided not to issue an environmental assessment certificate to the KGHM Ajax Mining Project. “We are happy that government is following the...
Check out the December 2017 email newsletter. [pdf-embedder url="http://adamolsen.bcgreencaucus.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/12/⭐-Adam-Olsen-Community-Newsletter-December-2017.pdf" title="⭐ Adam Olsen - Community Newsletter - December 2017"]
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz71ZBya8Y8[/embedyt] The British Columbia government has decided to proceed with building Site C. This has been a controversial project right from the start and after sleeping on it, here is my response to the decision. Transcript I have heard the tremendous outpouring of emotion regarding the...
B.C. GREEN CAUCUS For immediate release December 11th, 2017 Andrew Weaver responds to Government’s decision to continue with Site C VICTORIA, B.C. - Today Andrew Weaver responded to the NDP government’s decision to proceed with the construction of Site C. “Our caucus is extremely disheartened by this decision. It is fiscally reckless to continue...
Time to stop Site C I and my BC Green Caucus colleagues have been raising strong concerns about Site C in the Legislature. We are clear that the province should cancel the mega-project and instead look to a 21st century approach to energy policy. As the Cabinet is set to make a decision about the fate of the project, we have voiced our concerns...
MALAHAT LNG HAS BEEN CANCELLED! Amongst the densely packed meeting schedule in the constituency office this afternoon, I got the best news. A visit to malahatlng.com confirmed that "Malahat Nation and Steelhead LNG are no longer exploring the proposed Malahat LNG project." For 27 months the threat of a floating LNG plant hung over the Saanich...
On October 25, 2017 students from the Gulf Islands Secondary School visited the legislature. They each wrote me letters with extensive feedback on their experience in Question Period. In my last statement of the Fall session, I read a sampling of their responses into the record. [Transcript] A few weeks back I...
B.C. GREEN CAUCUS For immediate release November 28, 2017 BC Liberals vote against moving ride-hailing forward VICTORIA, B.C. - The B.C. Liberal caucus today voted against moving ride-hailing forward in British Columbia. Last week, B.C. Green Party leader Andrew Weaver announced that he had reached an agreement with the B.C. NDP to move the...
The BC NDP Cabinet will be making a decision on Site C before the end of 2017. There are so many reasons for the government to cancel the project. Over the past few weeks the BC Green Caucus has highlighted many of the reasons in Question Period. Today, I asked Hon. Michelle Mungall (Minister of Energy, Mines and...