ÍY SȻÁĆEL (Good Day), Welcome to my weekly update for April 10th, 2022! It was an extremely busy week in the Legislature. With 20 government Bills, 6 Private Members’ Bills and one Private Bill, and Budget Estimates ongoing it makes for a full day in the Assembly. For example on Thursday afternoon, within a span of a couple of hours I was asking...
When the consortium of multi-national corporations decided to invest in LNG Canada they only approved half the project (2 trains). They government regulatory process had approved them for 4 trains. Now they are looking at the possibility of growing their investment to the full 4 trains. The problem for the BC NDP is...
Tsawout First Nation has created a first-of-its-kind Marine Use Law embracing the principles of self-determination and the right to "fish as formerly" captured in the Douglas Treaty. This has enabled Tsawout to realize economic development opportunities, including with Cascadia Seaweed to grow kelp in the waters in...
Today I raised a question of privilege after Hon. Katrine Conroy (Minister of Forests) stated unequivocally that glyphosate is non-carcinogenic and non-toxic. The Minister gave the impression that the science regarding the safety of glyphosate has been settled when it has not. The Minister stated in the same breath...
I followed up my previous question to Hon. Katrine Conroy (Minister of Forests) about her defense of the aerial spraying of glyphosate on B.C. forest lands. Ultimately, the food security that the provincial government talks about does not include Indigenous practices of hunting, fishing, and gathering of wild foods...
Bill 12: Property Law Amendment Act is the legislation promised by Minister Selina Robinson (Finance) last Fall to introduce a “cooling off period” which government is now calling a “Homebuyer Protection Period.” This Bill is another example of the BC NDP using enabling legislation to give them the power to create...
Family doctor system is no longer feasible for most doctors today An estimated 15,000 residents of Saanich North and the Islands are without primary health care. Without a family doctor, or a primary care network, you will find yourself sitting in walk-in clinics or emergency rooms addressing each issue, not your overall health, with a doctor who...
ÍY SȻÁĆEL (Good Day), Welcome to my weekly update for April 3rd, 2022! It was a busy week for me in the legislature. With the Police Act Committee meeting on Monday and Wednesday evenings it made for long days. In Private Members’ Motions on Monday morning, MLA Mike Bernier (Peace River South) tabled, “Be it resolved that the House support...
The BC government continues to use glyphosate and other poisons to clear forest lands of unwanted vegetation. Unwanted only by the forest industry. The species that this government is killing are the same species that Indigenous Peoples have harvested, and continue to harvest, since time immemorial for food and...
Following the tabling of the Declaration Act Action Plan, I rose in Question Period to ask Premier John Horgan how his BC NDP government can justify the expansion of fossil fuel extraction and liquefaction infrastructure knowing the human rights violations, environmental and Indigenous rights. In my follow-up question...
The BC Legislative Assembly unanimously passed the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act in November 2019. Section 4 of the Act requires the government to table an Action Plan to ensure key steps toward reconciliation are taken, to ensure the government is accountable for their commitments to Indigenous...
In my second reading speech to Bill 14: Wildlife Amendment Act 2022 I share some of the W̱SÁNEĆ stories about our relationship with nature and all other life. The amendments in Bill 14 provide for the official acknowledgement of sheltering agreements between Indigenous Nations. In addition, the Bill provides a...
Micah Zandee-Hart is from Saanichton, BC in my riding of Saanich North and the Islands. In February, she was part of the Canadian Women's Ice Hockey team that defeated the United States 3-2 to win gold at the Beijing Winter Olympics. [Transcript] In February, we were lucky to cheer on 215 Canadians competing in the...
On International Women's Day, I rose in the Assembly to acknowledge and raise my hands in gratitude to the amazing and powerful women in my life. [Transcript] Laura, Phyllis, Sylvia, Emily, Joni, Heather, Ella, Yetsa, Madison, Patty, Sonia, Laura, JoJo, Maeve, Jonina, Stephanie, Hailey, Laura, Sarah, Claire and Rose....
In the 2020 election the BC NDP promised to make contraception free for all British Columbians. As a cisgender male, free or near-free condoms are widely available, vasectomies are covered by MSP, however for women, trans-men and gender diverse people, getting prescription contraception requires a visit to a medical...
With housing costs soaring in British Columbia the BC NDP's market driven for-profit affordable housing is not working. Affordable housing is out of reach for many British Columbians. The BC NDP flagship housing program is called the Housing Hub, it invests $2 billion worth of public money in market rental...
ÍY SȻÁĆEL (Good Day), Welcome to my weekly update for March 5th, 2022! With a half dozen Bills tabled and awaiting debate, the BC NDP continued Second Reading debate on Budget 2022 for most of the fourth week of this Spring session. I delivered my budget response speech (see link below) on Tuesday. On Thursday morning Hon. Selina Robinson,...
We learned this morning that Coastal Gas Link (CGL) and Trans Mountain Pipelines have purchased steel pipe manufactured by Envraz PLC, a company owned, chaired and run by Russian oligarchs. It is an important question and in the my delivery of my supplemental I unfortunately missed the main point, thinking and talking...
In my response to Budget 2022 I cover a variety of issues that are concerning me with the erosion of democracy in our British Columbia Legislative Assembly. I highlighted several aspects of Budget 2022 including climate action, reconciliation, housing, affordability, primary health care, and equity. [Transcript] I'll...
In Budget 2022, the BC NDP government invested $12 million over 3 years to create the long-awaited Declaration Act Secretariat to better organize the provincial reconciliation efforts. That budget though will just cover the salaries and administration of the office. We know that government funds its priorities and so...
ÍY SȻÁĆEL (Good Day), Welcome to my weekly update for February 25, 2022! It was budget week in British Columbia. It takes some time to digest the hundreds of pages put on the table by the Ministry of Finance. Understanding the budget evolves over weeks as Members of the opposition, special interest groups and researchers dig into the material. I...
The BC NDP were reluctant to populate the Select Standing Committees that are a requirement in the Standing Orders of the legislative assembly. Committees are a critical component of building consensus across partisan lines and to include the public in our work in the legislature. It is not appropriate for the BC NDP...
I continued my questions to the Minister of Children and Family Development asking why she continues to ignore families who want the government to maintain individual supports while investing $25 million this year in building a hub system that has failed in Ontario instead of investing it directly in the families in...
Over the last few sessions it has been increasingly apparent that the BC NDP government is serving their own partisan interests rather than the people we all represent! 150 years ago the colonial government of British Columbia tried to join Canada without a responsible government. The Canadian government wouldn't...
Will the province protect threatened species like the old growth specklebelly lichen? Well, it does not appear the BC NDP have any clear plans to protect endangered species. A couple of years ago Hon. George Heyman abandoned an initiative to develop biodiversity legislation, and if the response from the Minister of...
Each year the provincial government tables a Bill to adjust parks and protected areas in British Columbia. Mostly the Bill makes minor adjustments to boundaries, adding new lands, and makes name changes official. Unfortunately, this edition of the Bill does not add any new Indigenous names to protected areas and in my...