Elizabeth May’s Week in Review – April 13, 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 April 7, 2017 to April 13, 2017.

Key Moments in the House

– Visit by Malala Yousafzai –

On April 12th, Elizabeth was honoured to greet Nobel Laureate and human rights activist Malala Yousafzai as she arrived on Parliament Hill to address the House of Commons and accept honourary Canadian citizenship.

In her historic speech to parliament, Ms. Yousafzai called on Canada to play a leadership role in promoting education for girls and refugees around the world, while condemning acts of terrorism perpetrated in the name of Islam. Elizabeth then echoed her call for the government to commit to lead on global education efforts with a question to Prime Minister Trudeau during the afternoon’s Question Period.

We encourage you to view full coverage of Ms. Yousafzai’s inspirational, and often humorous, speech, as well as Elizabeth’s question to the Prime Minister, at the links below:

– Debates –

April 10 – Negotiating in Good Faith and Respecting Agreements made with First Nations

April 11 – Supporting a Greater Variety of Childcare Options for Canadians

– Committees –

April 11 – Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs

Elizabeth is actively working to help broker a solution to the impasse that has arisen with regards to reforming the standing orders of the House of Commons. You can find her response to the Liberal Government’s proposed reforms here.

Electoral Reform Update – Elizabeth’s TEDx talk is now online

Last week, the Liberal government released its official response to the Special Committee on Electoral Reform’s (ERRE) report. As anticipated, the official response echoed Prime Minister Trudeau’s deeply misguided decision to ignore the committee’s unprecedented majority decision and abandon their clearest election promise: to end First-Past-the-Post and install a new electoral system for 2019 that would ensure ‘every vote counts.’

Elizabeth recently delivered a presentation to the crowd at TEDx Stanley Park on just why this electoral reform is so important and why she isn’t giving in. We are excited to say that this presentation is now available online for viewing and sharing at the link below:

We must continue to show the government that there is a clear consensus, that Canadians want proportional representation. Call Trudeau’s office, write him letters, write your local papers, and write your MPs. Continue to make your voice heard. Together, we can still achieve electoral reform.

Lyme Disease Update – Press Conference on Improving the Lyme Disease Framework

Dear Friends and Supporters,

On Tuesday, MPs and from all parties and a Senator gathered to call for a strengthened Federal Lyme Disease Framework. Senator Kelvin Ogilvie, Conservative Senator from Nova Scotia, a world-respected scientist before being named to the Senate and Chair of the Senate Social Affairs, Science and Technology Committee, joined me, as well as MPs Tracey Ramsey (NDP for Essex), and Francesco Sorbara (Liberal for Vaughan – Woodbridge) to support the calls of advocates to strengthen the framework.

Dr. Melanie Wills, Director of the Canadian Lyme Science Alliance (CLSA) and researcher in Molecular and Cellular Biology at Guelph University, and Dr. Liz Zubek, a family physician who specializes in the treatment of Lyme Disease, both called for an improved framework, with a focus on improving the review of the available biomedical literature, and increasing the urgency of the call for better diagnostic testing. Rossana Magnotta, President and Founder of the G. Magnotta Foundation for Vector-Borne Diseases and advocate called for the Minister to incorporate better patient input into the Framework.

I encourage you to watch the press conference here:

There’s still time for the Framework to reflect these concerns. I remain deeply grateful that the bill received all-party support in the House of Commons and Senate. I continue to believe that, working together, there is much we can accomplish to improve the lives of those suffering from this terrible disease.

Elizabeth May, OC

Member of Parliament

Saanich-Gulf Islands

Leader of the Green Party of Canada

In the Media

Hill Times: What we still don’t know about Liberal infrastructure plans

Island Tides: Report from the world’s largest ever gathering of Greens!

Public Statements

Statement on the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge

Statement on Passover 2017

Statement for Easter 2017

Statement for Vaisakhi 2017

Petitions

Elizabeth introduced the following petitions to the government this week:

Ban the possession and sale or distribution of shark fins in Canada.
Label products if they contain genetically modified organisms.

Read the governments’ responses to petitions Elizabeth has introduced here.

Community Newsletter

April 2017 Newsletter – Earthquake Preparedness

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.

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 Communities 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