- Member of Parliament
- Member of Parliament
- NDP
- Nanaimo—Ladysmith
- British Columbia
- Voting Attendance: 62%
- Expenses Last Quarter: $144,270.93
- Government Page
- Nov/2/23 10:40:14 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of Canadians who care deeply about the health of the ocean and understand that we all depend on a thriving ocean ecosystem. The signatories point out that, in 2019, over one million cruise ship passengers travelled off British Columbia on their way to Alaska and these ships generate significant amounts of pollutants that are harmful to human health, aquatic organisms and coastal ecosystems.
Based on this information, the signatories are calling to set standards for cruise ships' sewage and grey water discharges equivalent to, or stronger than, those in Alaska; to designate no discharge zones to stop pollution in marine protected areas, and the entirety of the Salish and Great Bear seas, critical habitat for threatened and endangered species; and, finally, to require regular, independent, third-party monitoring while ships are under way to ensure discharge requirements are met.
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- May/30/22 9:11:09 p.m.
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Madam Chair, does the minister think B.C. will be able to build back better if DFO is not willing to help invest in fish-friendly infrastructure and habitat restoration?
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- May/30/22 9:10:51 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I believe that answer would be zero, but perhaps the minister can clarify if that is not the case.
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- May/30/22 9:10:21 p.m.
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Madam Chair, how many projects has DFO helped to support in the wake of last year's flooding in British Columbia?
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate the member opposite's response, but the actions of the government over the last six years speak loudly. It is clear we are not getting the results we need. The climate crisis is growing worse as the government continues to miss its targets.
On this side of the House, NDP members have put forward bold legislation to ensure Canada is supporting indigenous communities with meaningful investments while standing up to the climate crisis.
For example, my colleague's bill, Bill C-245, would ensure the Canada Infrastructure Bank prioritizes indigenous and northern communities in the fight against climate change. Similarly, my colleague's motion, Motion No. 1, calls on the government to develop a green new deal for Canada. The motion demands the government invest in a net-zero future with reconciliation at the forefront.
Does the member opposite agree we need to rethink our approach to the climate crisis and ensure indigenous communities get the investments they deserve?
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- Feb/10/22 6:39:28 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is a privilege to rise again this evening to discuss the devastating flooding we saw this fall in British Columbia. I know there is a lot of work still to be done to repair infrastructure and to rebuild from this extreme flooding situation.
For many people across the country, last year's forest fires and flooding were a wake-up call that we are living with the consequences of the climate crisis. This is a human-caused emergency, and we are paying the price for years of climate inaction.
In my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith, first nations communities felt the impacts of flooding most acutely. When I spoke to Chief Roxanne Harris last fall, she expressed her frustration and the difficulty she had in connecting with timely federal supports in order to ensure that Stz'uminus First Nation was able to get the support it needed. The lack of timely supports meant the flood damage turned to mould damage, putting people's health at risk. This mould could have been avoided if the required supports had been made available immediately.
While it is critical that we take lessons from last year's flooding, for too many first nations communities this was not an isolated event. It has put a spotlight on the decades-long failure of the federal government to support first nations infrastructure. As the climate crisis is worsening, we know that infrastructure that is already pushed to its limits will not be able to keep up with this crisis.
Chief Wyse of Snuneymuxw First Nation highlighted that flooding is a yearly reality in his community. Each year, community members are forced to vacate their homes due to flooding. They are still in the process of trying to secure funding for upgrades to the infrastructure along the riverbank, but this is not a new issue; it is a crisis the community feels every year.
Both Stz'uminus and Snuneymuxw have highlighted that their sacred burial sites are being eroded each year. This is shameful. No community members in Canada should be forced to flee their homes each year or worry about the integrity of the land in which their loved ones are laid to rest, but that is the reality for too many indigenous communities.
While the Liberal government talks a lot about support for indigenous communities, we are not seeing the urgent investment in indigenous infrastructure across the country that we need. Whether it is on Vancouver Island with flood mitigation infrastructure, Kashechewan First Nation in northern Ontario, where hundreds of people need to evacuate each year, or Iqaluit, which has continued to struggle to ensure the community has access to clean drinking water, we must radically rethink how we ensure communities get the support they need as the climate emergency becomes more severe.
As a member of Parliament, one of the most frustrating things I find is that when first nations are looking for support, the federal government seems to only be able to provide dead ends. So many of the programs the government likes to point to have been closed for years because demand for support was so high and the funding provided by the government did not meet communities' needs.
Indigenous communities across Canada have been at the forefront of the climate emergency and have been sounding alarm bells about how the federal government is failing to address the climate emergency. We have seen, time and again, that indigenous peoples' knowledge and their connection to land have been ignored or minimized when they raise serious concerns about our rapidly changing climate. This is especially troubling, as the history of colonization has been one of forced relocation of indigenous communities to some of the land most at risk to climate change. Failing to learn from Canada's history only serves to extend Canada's shameful colonial history.
My question to the government is this: How much worse does the climate crisis need to become before we create a meaningful climate action plan that is created in true partnership with indigenous communities, such as Stz'uminus, Snuneymuxw, Lyackson and Snaw-naw-as?
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- Nov/26/21 11:47:18 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, indigenous communities across Canada continue to be at the forefront of the climate crisis. The ongoing flooding in B.C. has devastated first nations communities that are waiting for help to clean up and a plan to face future climate events. This week I asked the government to listen to and work with indigenous leaders, such as Chief Roxanne Harris from Stz'uminus First Nation. Stz'uminus First Nation and others have not received the support they need.
When will the government follow through with its promises?
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- Nov/24/21 9:06:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, congratulations on your new role as Chair.
I would like to again thank the constituents of Nanaimo—Ladysmith for putting their trust in me as their newly elected member of Parliament.
The devastating flooding in B.C. has been a painful reminder that we are living with the consequences of the human-caused climate crisis. Indigenous communities across Canada continue to be at the forefront of the climate crisis. Shamefully, first nations feel the impacts all too frequently being at the back of the line for federal funding for cleanups and infrastructure. Chief Roxanne Harris and the Stz'uminus First Nation in my riding have felt these impacts from the flooding first-hand, and the delays in funding have only made matters worse.
Is my colleague ready to listen to indigenous leaders such as Chief Harris, and to work alongside indigenous communities to get them the urgent support they need to combat the worsening climate crisis?
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