Elizabeth May’s Week in Review – Feb 24, 2017

Week in Review

February 24, 2017

Welcome to Elizabeth May's parliamentary week in review! This weekly e-newsletter recaps her work in Parliament when the House is in session. At the links below, you can watch videos of Elizabeth's interventions in the House, keep up with her media releases, and read articles she has written. This newsletter covers Elizabeth's work from February 17, 2017 to February 24, 2017.
 

Key Moments in the House

Speeches and Debates

Feb 21 - Speech on the Fundamental Purpose of National Parks - Maintaining Ecological Integrity 

Feb 23 - Speech and Debate on the Impact of Carbon Taxes

Questions

Feb 21 - Question on the Broad Scope of Bill-C23 Regarding the Power of US Border Officials Operating in Canada

Feb 22 – Question on Canada’s Lack of Participation in UN Nuclear Disarmament Negotiations

Update on Electoral Reform

The Prime Minister has made a terrible decision. But it can be reversed. We must continue to show him that there is a clear consensus, that Canadians want proportional representation.

*What You Can Do*

1. Continue to call the Prime Minister's office, write him letters, and write letters to your local Member of Parliament. 
    
2. Sign the parliamentary petition, if you have not already, calling on the Liberal government to revive the electoral reform debate in the House of Commons: 

   Click here to sign Petition E-616. It is currently sitting at 124,375 signatures!
    

3. Stay tuned​ for futue action as we work together with our pro-democracy friends to hold the Liberals to their promise! 
    

​Lyme Disease Update: Draft Framework Online and Open for Comments

On February 14th, the Public Health Agency of Canada released the Draft Federal Framework on Lyme Disease. You can read it here. The draft framework was written by the Public Health Agency and is the summation of the information gained during the online consultation process of summer 2015 and the conference of spring 2016.

The framework is required to meet the guidelines set out in Elizabeth's Private Member’s Bill, which include the following:

• the establishment of a national medical surveillance program to use data collected by the Agency to properly track incidence rates and the associated economic costs of Lyme disease;
• the establishment of guidelines regarding the prevention, identification, treatment and management of Lyme disease, and the sharing of best practices throughout Canada; and,
• the creation and distribution of standardized educational materials related to Lyme disease, for use by any public health care provider within Canada, designed to increase national awareness about the disease and enhance its prevention, identification, treatment and management.

We hope that the final federal framework reflects the input of stakeholders, especially patients’ groups, who have been so dedicated to improving the quality of life for all those suffering from Lyme across Canada.

*Ensuring the Liberal government fulfills its responsibility to implement the bill*

1. Submit your comments on the draft federal framework: 

If you can, please comment on the draft federal framework within the 30 day consultation period. You can do so my emailing your comments, by March 8^th, 2017, to:

Lyme.Framework.Consultation_Consultation.Cadre.Lyme@phac-aspc.gc.ca

You can also mail your comments, again by March 8^th, 2017, to the following address:

Centre for Food-borne, Environmental and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases
Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Branch
Public Health Agency of Canada
130 Colonnade Road
Mail slot 6502A
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9

​2. Stay tuned for the upcoming parliamentary petition:

Elizabeth has sponsored petition e-903, calling upon the Government of Canada to ensure concerned stakeholders are included in the writing of the Lyme Framework, upholding the spirit and intent of the Act. It is currently being translated and should be live early next week. We will keep you posted. 
 

​Media Updates

Elizabeth May congratulates Université Laval on fossil fuel divestment commitment

Elizabeth May calls on Liberals to honour campaign promise and close tax loophole on stock options
 

In the Media

CBC News: Elizabeth May makes case against deportation for bipolar Vancouver Island man

CTV News: Canada's ad hoc fitness caucus: MPs sweat together
 

Petitions

• Ensure the implementation of the Missing Persons Index and DNA database. 
• Ensure a moratorium against the release of genetically modified alfalfa.
• Establish further tax incentives for the purchase of new hybrid and electric vehicles. 
• Consider the national homelessness strategy as proposed by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities as a model for dealing nationall with homelessness.
• Act to protect Canada's pollinators by banning, as other jurisdictions have done, the use of neonicotinoid insecticides.
• Get rid of the perverse first past the post voting system and bring in fair voting with proportional representation.

Read the government responses to petitions Elizabeth has introduced here
 

Committee Briefs

Brief Submitted to the  Expert Panel Reviewing Environmental Assessment Law

Brief Submitted to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change for the "Let's Talk Parks Canada" Consultation

Brief Submitted to the Standing Committee on International Trade for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement Consultation

Brief Submitted to the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communites in Response to their Review of the Navigation Protection Act

Brief Submitted to the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans in Response to the Review of Changes to the Fisheries Act

Brief Submitted to the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development on the Canadian Environmental Protection Act
 

Private Members' Bills

Elizabeth May has introduced the following bills:

Bill C-269: This bill will abolish mandatory minimum sentences for all crimes of except murder and treason.

Bill C-258: This "Think Small First" bill would require that every new bill introduced in the House undergo an assessment to determine how the bill would impact Canadian small businesses.

Bill C-259: The Open Science Act would require all federal departments to make all publicly funded scientific research available to Canadians on their websites.

For a list of private members' bills Elizabeth May has seconded, please visit elizabethmaymp.ca

Current Federal Opportunities

Canada 150 Speakers’ Speech Writing Contest - Young Canadians from across the country are encouraged to participate in the Speakers’ Speech Writing Contest. The contest closes on April 21, 2017. Click the link for more details. 

Upcoming Events with Elizabeth May

Friday, February 24 - Elizabeth speaks on panel at Annual CAELS Conference

Thursday, March 02 - Elizabeth joins Gerban Van Straaten for a conversation about the Earth Charter

Saturday, March 04 –  Elizabeth delivers TEDx talk at TEDxStanleyPark

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