With relief coming to Saanich families and educators as the doors of our public schools are open again and knowledge transfer resumes, I took the opportunity in Question Period to ask a couple of unresolved questions ahead of our deeper look at the future of our public education system in British Columbia. One of the...
Last week, my son Silas spent a day shadowing me. He was available because the schools in our district are shuttered due to a labour dispute. Tuesday evening I made the executive decision that if he was not going to learn at school then I would broaden his experience by letting him see first hand what I do on a daily...
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...
British Columbia is the first jurisdiction in Canada poised to legislate the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Changing the relationships with Indigenous people in British Columbia was a priority of the BC Greens in the 2017 provincial election. It is a shared priority with our BC NDP colleagues and...
The negotiation between School District #63 and CUPE 441 is complex and has evolved into a seemingly intractable situation. From as best as I can tell it started 40 or 50 years ago. Back then support staff in the District decided to forego wage increases in order to receive a more comprehensive benefits package. It's...
In February 2018 I stood in Question Period twice, and asked the provincial government who was protecting steelhead. I received vague responses, essentially just deflections. Those questions started 18 months of work on fish policy that resulted in our internal policy paper entitled Standing Up for Wild Salmon that...
This week in question period I asked Hon. Doug Donaldson about the impact of the growing risks of climate change on our forests in British Columbia. Public attention is focussing in recent months on the forest industry that is controlled by multi-national corporations shuttering operations, cutting jobs and putting...
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...
We have learned that there are considerable issues with how B.C. Timber Sales is operating. It appears that they are not even following their own rules. This is deeply concerning. I have been asking government of the continued liquidation of old-growth, specifically on Vancouver Island, for the better part of the past...
The provincial government has introduced Bill 36, The Gaming Control Amendment Act, 2019. This Bill enacts a commitment made in Budget 2019 that provides $3 billion from gaming funds to First Nations communities over the next 25 years. I spoke to Bill 36 and support this initiative. We know how restrictive program...
Over the past several weeks the B.C. Green Caucus has been asking government about the lack of protection of old-growth forests in British Columbia. Our work culminated in a call for a moratorium. Another troubling aspect of forest management in the province is on private land. We have been inundated with...
I have had a steady flow of correspondence from my constituents on the Southern Gulf Islands. Indeed, road conditions continue to deteriorate on the islands and the provincial government has under-resourced the Ministry to address the situation. This is not a new problem. Hon. Claire Travena inherited a massive...
Since my election in May 2017 it is crystal clear, people who live and work on the Saanich Peninsula want better public transit. They need better transit. This is an issue right across the Capital Region. It is a priority in addressing climate change, reducing congestion and prolonging the life of our aging...
Following the recommendations of an expert panel the BC NDP government is updating the labour relations code. The B.C. Green Caucus appreciates the work of the panel and supports their recommendations.In my second reading debate, I highlight the B.C. Green Caucus effort to address the issue of the historical pendulum...
The B.C. Green Caucus has been questioning Hon. Doug Donaldson on the continued logging of old-growth on Vancouver Island. 79% of the productive old-growth on Vancouver Island, including over 90% of the high productivity old-growth in valley bottoms, has already been logged. Only 8% of these forests have any...
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...
The BC NDP government continues to stubbornly defend clear-cutting high productivity old-growth forests. The defense that has been vocalized by the Minister of Forests is that he has a clear understanding of the value of old-growth for biodiversity, but he balances that with an understanding of the economic value of...
On Thursday we finally had the second reading debate for Bill 16, Protected Areas of British Columbia Amendment Act (2019). Each year there is an amendment Bill similar to this one, where government will open up the legislation to make adjustments to park boundaries.In this instance, there are a handful of parks that...
We have been asking questions of Minister Michelle Mungall about oil and gas activity in the British Columbia north. There have been responses but few answers. We asked about leaking wells, orphan wells, the purchase of wells by a Chinese company with close ties to the Communist Party of China, and the impacts of...
I spend a lot of time on ferries. As the Member for Saanich North and the Islands my constituents span the Salish Sea from Sidney to Galiano, Mayne, Pender, Salt Spring, and Saturna. Quality ferry service is essential to their lives. Ferries are how they get to school and work every day. It’s how they access...
Food security is increasingly important in a world impacted by climate change. For the second time in as many sessions the BC NDP government is amending the Agricultural Land Commission Act to increase protection of food producing land for agriculture. This is vitally important. But, it is also important that...
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...
[UPDATE] I have received a response from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. BC Housing has entered into a lease agreement with a local farmer to harvest hay. The lease has a strong covenant to comply with environmental laws and a related indemnity not to use or permit to be used any harmful or hazardous...
Do you need a family doctor? Approximately one third of my constituents living on the Saanich Peninsula do not have a family doctor. The crisis could become a lot worse as many doctors are close to retirement. This issue is by no means restricted to Saanich North and the Islands. It is an issue felt in communities...
It is not very often that Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) will stand and continue the debate on a Bill at 3rd reading. It's as unusual for MLA's to vote 14 times on a Bill. By 3rd reading most of the substantive work is done. There is a considerable amount of opportunity to debate legislation at 2nd reading....
Wage inequality is an important issue for British Columbians. We often think of this issue as being a 1%/99% issue. But what about in the same workplace? This week the official opposition has been asking questions about contracts and a decision to offer low-wage redress to unionized social-care workers and not offer...