Since my election as the MLA in May 2017, I have had many meetings in my office and hundreds more emails, from constituents who do not have a family doctor. The lack of access to primary care is not just in Saanich North and the Islands but in ridings all across British Columbia. This long-standing issue was even the...
After many months of speculation about what was going to be contained in the bill enabling the speculation and vacancy tax that was proposed by the BC NDP government it was finally tabled and I stood and spoke at second reading. [Transcript] I rise to take my place in the debate on the speculation and vacancy tax...
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...
It's about fairness The referendum on proportional representation is about fairness. It is about ensuring that the will of British Columbians on election day is reflected in legislature. Under the current first-past-the-post system our power, the power of the people, is consolidated into one party, usually through a false majority. Meaning, that...
When the BC NDP government announced they were finally changing the medical services premiums (MSP), they were lauded by British Columbians who have been calling on for more than a decade. They struck a task force to advice government on the best approach to changing a system that generates billions of dollars each...
While in Official Opposition the BC NDP were highly critical of the BC Liberals plan for LNG. Perhaps they were not outright opposed to dumping megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions into the environment, but they were incredibly vocal on the former government's plan to sell-out future British Columbians for...
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...
There have long been discussions about better connecting the Capital Region and Cowichan Valley Regional District by building a bridge across the Saanich Inlet. There is no doubt that we need better connectivity on Southern Vancouver Island but a bridge is not the solution. Not only will it cost billions of dollars to...
This week the BC Green Caucus has been celebrating and highlighting business in BC. Technology, innovation, education, investment in post-secondary skills training have all been front and centre. Entrepreneurs work hard and shoulder tremendous risk to realize their ideas. In many cases they put their staff and...
Climate action starts with setting goals and accountability measures. British Columbia was a leader in climate action. Former Premier Christy Clark decided not continue the work of her predecessor Gordon Campbell. We have a responsibility to future generations to do our absolute best to make decisions today on their...
The government has committed to funding 40% of the Metro Vancouver Mayors' 10-year transportation plan. Investments in transit and alternative transportation options to the single-occupant vehicle are greatly needed in the lower mainland, capital region and other areas in the province. We could be doing much better...
The Camosun Innovates program receives “Technology Access Centre” grant (or TAC grant) funding from the federal government as part of the of the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council’s “College and Community Innovation” program. In 2017, it was one of the only BC institutions to win a CCI grant award....
With the framework for legalizing the recreational use of cannabis moving through the legislature, the provincial government must legislate how it will be distributed. Bill 31 creates the distribution rules for recreational cannabis. Leveraging the well-established liquor distribution system, the province, will at...
The Government of Canada is legalizing cannabis. The provincial government must now develop a framework for the legal recreational consumption of cannabis. Bill 30 is the legislation to control and license the newly legalized industry in British Columbia. Critics on both sides have pushed on this legislation. It has...
Bill 23 creates residential rental tenure zoning. The initiative is perhaps the first of its kind provides local governments a tool to ensure important rental housing assets remain rental housing and that town councils can identify areas to zone future rental housing. The Bill amends the Local Government Act and the...
Indigenous place names have marked and identified important locations throughout British Columbia for countless generations. Following contact and settlement of European people new names were added and signs were erected. Bill 19 expands parkland and begins to reattach Indigenous place names to those important places....
With the legalization of cannabis coming later this summer, the federal government has but the provincial government's under considerable strain to ensure that our laws are consistent. Unfortunately, much of the federal framework is still unknown greater an even bigger problem for the province's. Ending drugged...
The BC Greens campaigned on evidence-based decision-making. We have often criticized government for making a political decision, or decisions that benefit a donor. Bill 18 is mandating local governments to complete and publish a housing needs assessment every five years. The goal of this legislation is to collect data...
The quota system implemented by the federal government has essentially privatized a public natural resource. The result has been that large corporations have purchased the quotas consolidating them and making it harder for owner operators and smaller operations to compete. Since moving in this direction there are far...
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...
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...
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...