SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 308

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 3, 2024 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 308 - May/3/24
Mr. Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni, NDP)
  • May/3/24 11:52:32 a.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, sadly, Alberta is on track to have the most toxic drug deaths per capita in Canada by June. Clearly, Alberta's Conservative recovery-only model is tragically failing, but who has jumped on board to support it? The Conservative leader has. While he regularly meets up with far right extremist groups, he will not even meet with Moms Stop the Harm, families that have lost loved ones to the toxic drug crisis. That is the kind of guy he is. The Liberals have let it happen by not taking a national approach to fighting the crisis. When will the Liberal government finally intervene?
105 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 308 - May/3/24
Mr. Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni, NDP)
  • May/3/24 12:23:57 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to table a petition on behalf of constituents of mine from Tofino and Ucluelet on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Petitioners highlight that lifeguards watched over Lovekin Rock at Long Beach, which is in Tla-o-qui-aht territory, in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. It had a surf guard program for 40 years until the federal Conservative government cut the program in 2012. This beach probably has the highest concentration of people at any beach in Canada without a lifeguard. Emergencies are often being attended to by Parks Canada in collaboration with the Canadian Coast Guard, West Coast Inland Search and Rescue, the B.C. emergency response group, the RCMP, volunteer firefighter departments in Ucluelet and Tofino, and even CFB Comox. There have been multiple deaths since the closure of this program. Petitioners are calling on the government to reinstate the surf guard tower and surf guard services and to extend the duration of the surf guard program to accommodate the growing number of emergencies, as well as visitors, at Long Beach national park reserve. There was a meeting about this in March. The petitioners are waiting for the results of that meeting and hopefully the reinstatement of this program.
208 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 308 - May/3/24
Mr. Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni, NDP)
  • May/3/24 1:09:51 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, I take umbrage with a number of comments, starting with respect for the police. At the health committee, we had police testify on the toxic drug crisis, and as soon as the Conservatives did not get the answers they liked, what did they do? They tried to test the credibility of the RCMP and undermine it. This is totally unacceptable. These are the people who protect us day in and day out. He also cited that the NDP has gotten nothing done out of our deal. I am going to name a few things: a national dental care plan; a pharmacare plan, so that people who have diabetes can get insulin; a school lunch food program; a youth mental health fund; anti-scab legislation; a doubling of the GST tax credit to help people deal with inflation; a doubling of the firefighter and search and rescue tax credit; a renter protection fund; a red dress alert; and more money for child care and housing. I could go on and on, but maybe the member could name just one opposition party, outside of Tommy Douglas bringing in universal health care, that has gotten more done for people. Maybe he could even name one thing that the Conservatives have gotten done in the last nine years.
216 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border