COVID-19 has uncovered many existential risks in our society and economy. One significant area of concern raised by my constituents and British Columbians from across the province is our food supply. There is a strong desire that we double down on the efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure that British Columbians have access to...
Over the past two weeks my B.C. Green Caucus colleague Sonia Furstenau and I have been asking the government questions about their $1.5 billion COVID-19 economic recovery plans. We asked about support for the tourism and hospitality sector, funding for youth employment programs, supporting B.C. based manufacturing by strengthening local supply...
Today I asked the Minister of Environment when the provincial government will restore the scheduled carbon tax increase. A few months ago this government delayed, indefinitely, the next scheduled carbon tax increase. In the current economic context, this may be seen as a tough question, but it is now more than ever...
Over the past year there has been a growing crisis in skyrocketing insurance premiums for stratas. This has created a desperate situation for the more than 1.5 million British Columbians (30%) living in a strata building. People are fearful that the security of their homes is threatened and many are concerned if they...
The BC Green Caucus was up in Budget Estimates with Hon. Bruce Ralston (Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources) this week. My colleague Sonia Furstenau and I asked Minister Ralston questions in a number of areas including BC Hydro, Site C, mining and LNG. The transcript below begins with Sonia's final question to Minister Ralston about...
In this session of budget estimates I continue my work from earlier in the week to draw attention to the ongoing struggles of the tourism industry. In Question Period (Monday), I asked Minister Lisa Beare about her plans for supporting tourism operators over the next 18-24 months. In my Statement (Wednesday), I highlighted how as an MLA I lean on...
I appreciate the brief opportunity to honour the powerful work of community advocates I have met with several times by asking Hon. Shane Simpson (Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction) in Budget Estimates about potential accessibility and inclusion legislation. It's my preference to be discussing the actual legislation this Spring,...
Indigenous, Black and other people of colour in British Columbia and Canada face systemic racism everyday. Following calls to address the deeply entrenched problem in policing, the provincial government recently established a committee to oversee the reform of the Police Act. A couple of weeks ago Hon. Adrian Dix announced that allegations of...
Transportation related issues continue to be very challenging in Saanich North and the Islands and across British Columbia. Over the past couple of weeks opposition critics have been questioning Minister Claire Travena in budget estimates. Transportation and Infrastructure is a big portfolio including ferries, transit, roads and highways. The...
I am honoured to be named to the Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act. Our society is grappling with deeply entrenched systemic racism throughout our institutions. The critical work of this committee has been needed for a long time. I'm thankful that the terms of reference of the committee extends beyond just the Police Act and provides...
Today in Question Period I asked the Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness if her ministry is developing a concrete proposal for how stimulus spending can enact this recommendation to use CleanBC as an economic driver in recovery that can also help us build greater resilience in local supply...
The training and experience I gained from working for a decade in the hospitality industry is an important part of my journey in community service. Today I acknowledged those years and raised my hands to the people who helped shape those experiences for me. In addition, in this time when the tourism and hospitality...
Today I asked the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture if the provincial government has a strategic, sector specific plan to support BC's tourism sector. Tourism operators across the province have been significantly impacted by the pandemic and a large increase in local tourism will not make up lost revenue....
After nearly four-months away the British Columbia Legislative Assembly will finally resume. MLA’s will sit for eight weeks through July and August.British Columbia has been widely recognized for our collective handling of the pandemic. Our public health professionals, civil service and politicians have all been focussed on addressing the...
In this post I am republishing a commentary originally published on the brand new BC Green Caucus website. Going forward you will be able to find all the legislative work of the BC Green Caucus, including videos of our work in Question Period and on Bills to media releases, statements and commentaries.In the future, commentaries such as the one...
Today I asked the Minister of Health why privately operated care homes are not obliged to make their audited financial statements available to the public, and when British Columbians can expect the government to implement a more transparent system. [Transcript] ACCOUNTABILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR FOR-PROFIT LONG-TERM CARE...
My name is SȾHENEP (Adam Olsen). I am the son of Carl & Sylvia Olsen and the grandson of Ernie & Laura Olsen and Don & Phyllis Snobelen. I am W̱SÁNEĆ, from the WJOȽEȽP village. Growing up on Tsartlip, an Indian reserve, dealing with systemic racism is just part of life. Addressing the impacts of colonialism in British Columbia has...
Listen on your podcast player of choice here. Watch the video here. This week my colleague Sonia Furstenau and I connected with Alex Soojung-Kim Pang to discuss his research on the four-day workweek. I am republishing the Facebook Live conversation on YouTube and on The Public Circle Podcast. So much of our lives have been re-designed in the past...
In this episode of The Public Circle Podcast (the first in several months) I’m republishing a virtual town hall I hosted on Monday June 15, 2020 with Isobel Mackenzie, the B.C. Seniors Advocate. In February 2020 the Office of the Seniors Advocate published a report titled A Billion Reasons to Care. It is the first detailed review of British...
When I asked in this blog post what you thought about the potential of a four-day workweek you responded with great interest. I received a lot of positive feedback. There were many questions as well. Business owners and workers alike wanted to know how it would impact them. As we address the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we...
COVID-19 has devastated small business in communities across British Columbia.As the representative of communities on the Southern Gulf Islands I have received a steady stream of stories of heartbreak and economic turmoil caused by the global pandemic.The revenue generated from off-islanders visiting from late-spring to early-fall power Island...
Many people in our communities experience stress, anxiety, depression and isolation. The public health and safety response to COVID-19 has required us to maintain physical distancing measures that have dramatically increased instances of isolation.A commenter on my Facebook page asked me to share the domestic violence and mental health support...
Last week I published this blog post asking for feedback on the potential for a four day workweek in British Columbia. I received a lot of really important feedback. Since then my BC Green Caucus colleague Sonia Furstenau has had this opinion piece published in Daily Hive Vancouver.We want to keep the conversation going so I am sharing the...
The COVID-19 global pandemic has disrupted all aspects of our lives.During the upheaval our strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats have been exposed. We can either strive to put the pieces back together exactly as they were before the disruption, or we can thoughtfully and critically make changes that benefit people and the...
British Columbia is in phase two of our restart plan.Nothing about the past few months has been easy. Asking British Columbians to stay home, miss important occasions like births, funerals and religious celebrations, close their businesses, and stay at least two metres away from each other has been very difficult. However, it’s necessary in order...
This “little person” is one of the original gnomes from a long-gone tourist attraction in Cordova Bay. Do you remember Fable Cottage?My grandfather Don Snobelen was a gardener in Victoria for decades. For many years he tended the incredible flower beds at the attraction.As a result, I spent many summer mornings hanging out and talking with the...