Wildfire season is becoming synonymous with summer. As we celebrate my daughter's 7th birthday, it comes with the somber realization that 50% of the summers of her life have been choked out by the smoke of raging wildfires. Escaping fire and evacuating communities is an increasing reality for British Columbians.Saanich North and the Islands is a...
I have been thinking about the initiative to lower the voting age in Canada and British Columbia to 16. My colleague Andrew Weaver has introduced a Private Member's Bill about this three times in the British Columbia legislature. His most recent attempt was on March 13, 2018 and Premier John Horgan agreed to consider it. Despite this, the voting...
Tension is growing in the forests across British Columbia so I thought it was appropriate to reflect on my work in the Spring session of the legislature standing up for our most treasured ancient creatures. Fresh images of devastating clearcuts hacked from the valley walls of Schmidt Creek, Naka Creek, Tessium Creek and Upper Tsitika Watersheds...
It's been awhile since Emily and I were parents of a baby.A couple of weeks back we brought Tui into our family. She is just a mini little puppy and only ten weeks old today. As a parent of 11 and 7 year old kids she's reminding me of a time slipping further into our past.Puppies are sooooo cute! The people who follow my Instagram posts agree....
I have mixed emotions today. The Raptors are in Toronto, and they are on the brink of winning the NBA championship.For those of you who have been following my blog for awhile you might remember this post about my lifelong support for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Game 6, in Toronto, championship on the line. It's a thing. Except, it's not the Larry...
Greens have always said they would not have a Whip. So, why do the B.C. Greens have a Whip? It's a good question. I'm the Whip and my role within the B.C. Green Caucus is important - especially in a minority government. However, it is not likely important for the reasons many people think.The Party Whip has a bad rap and for good reason....
There is a rhythm and flow to legislative and constituency life. There is no handbook to show MLAs how to be an MLA. We learn from our constituents, respond to the needs of our communities and proactively reach out through meetings and dialogues to learn how we can improve our representation. Finding the fulcrum to balance the diversity of work...
This coming week, I am speaking at a couple of sessions about running for public office. It gets me to thinking about my own path to the British Columbia legislature. I grew up on Tsartlip First Nation. Our family property on Stelly's is right across the street from the municipality of Central Saanich. While I'm a Central Saanich kid, there is an...
I am fully aware of how lucky I am for being able to represent a riding in the Capital Region.The travel requirements of many of my colleagues when we are in session would make it difficult for me to do this job. When we are sitting, many MLAs will travel into town on Sunday afternoon or evening. Most stay in hotels in the downtown inner harbour...
Here are my initial comments on the findings of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Inquiry. I have not yet had the opportunity to read the full report and will be taking time in the next few days to look at it in more detail. However, here is the statement I made as the spokesperson on behalf of the B.C. Green Caucus. The...
[siteorigin_widget class="SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget"][/siteorigin_widget] LinkedIn sent me an email recently with a little reminder about the ever-evolving nature of the workplace.My first job was at the local McDonald's. I worked the front window and it was the beginning a rewarding career in customer and public service.It's been a long...
As the MLA for Saanich North and the Islands, I spend a lot of time traveling on ferries. Not as much as my constituents, but I have come to understand the ferry service differently since my election. For my Gulf Island constituents the ferry is their connection to home. Life on Vancouver Island is similarly connected but we are a little more...
We are at the end of our second Spring Legislative session. It has been an interesting few months. There have been range of emotional issues and a few legislative firsts. While we were disappointed that the B.C. NDP government and B.C. Liberal official opposition partnered up to pass a massive subsidy for the fossil fuel industry, I am very...
I feel I must circle back around and address the recent explosion of sea lice on the west coast and the continued persistence of open-net pen fish farms in British Columbia waters.First, I must restate my dissatisfaction with the decades of poor resource management in our province.In recent months, I have been working on several fronts, primarily...
It's National Tourism Week, so let's celebrate SuperNatural British Columbia!When I was a teenager I would go to downtown Victoria in the summertime with my friends. We would hang out on the causeway watching the buskers and mixing and mingling with the tourists. Victoria is an incredibly warm and welcoming place to visit.Following high school, I...
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...
Earlier this month, my colleague Andrew Weaver asked Hon. Michelle Mungall, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, about orphan oil and gas wells in British Columbia. The Auditor General of British Columbia reviewed the situation in our province and reported that the number of orphan sites is dramatically increasing and the funds set...
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...
PrologueHeads up. This post is dense. It might be one of my densest yet. It takes me back to high school when I was working over a few "isms" like Marxism, capitalism and anarchism. Back to the days when the school administrators called to plead with my mother to get me to stop holding "anarchy sessions" in the smoking pit. I was the kid who...
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...
Today is my little girl's birthday. Ella is seven. It is hard to believe really. When she and her brother Silas were still babies, people would remind us that "they grow up quickly" so we should "enjoy them while they are young!" It's true! It is incredible to watch these little people develop. Ella is a deep source of inspiration for me. Back in...
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...
I remember my photography instructor in the Applied Communication Program stating with authority, "Garbage in, garbage out!"A poorly composed photo will never be anything more than a poorly composed photo. My cohort in the early 2000's was on the cusp of the change from film to digital processing. There was a perception that the new digital...
Earlier this week, I paused to celebrate the accomplishments on my three big issues over my first 24 months in provincial office. It's important to stop and acknowledge the distance travelled. However, it is equally important to be honest about how far we have to go.While navigating the logging roads out to the west coast, it's not possible to...
If you have been following these daily blog therapy sessions over the past few weeks then you may have noticed a creeping darkness here. The initial jovial meditations about morning walks, Pokemon and the useful insights of Seth Godin's podcast have made way for a slightly out-of-focus look at politics, power, philosophy and partisan policy of...
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnoZ0hEO6zg[/embedyt] For her birthday this year my wife Emily is hosting a film screening about a place that is very important to her. It's the home territory of our nephew, the Heiltsuk territory on the central coast of British Columbia. Raven People Rising is a documentary film about the Nathan...