Welcome to Elizabeth May's parliamentary week in review! This weekly e-newsletter will recap 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 January 30 to February 3, 2017.
Key Moments in the House
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Statements
Jan 31 – Tribute to Outgoing Ministers McCallum and Dion
Debates
Jan 31 – Bill C-37 and the Fentanyl Crisis
Jan 31 – Emergency Debate on U.S. Travel Ban Decision
Questions
Feb 1 – Question on Electoral Reform
Quebec City Mosque Shooting
Elizabeth was honoured to attend, at the invitation of the PM, and along with all other opposition party leaders, the Québec City vigil on Monday night, January 30.
She also delivered a statement preceding the observance of a moment of silence in the House of Commons. This can be viewed here.
Update on Electoral Reform
Message from Elizabeth:
Earlier this week, like you, I watched with shock and a sense of betrayal as the Prime Minister and his Minister of Democratic Institutions broke their clearest election promise: to end First-Past-the-Post and install a new electoral system for 2019 that would ensure ‘every vote counts.’ I’ve written about Prime Minister’s Trudeau reckless, cynical decision here.
The Prime Minster claims there is no consensus. This is false. The Special Committee on Electoral Reform reached an unprecedented majority decision which was backed by the vast majority of expert testimony and public input that recommended a move to a proportional system. The Liberals own flawed survey, that did not ask which system Canadians preferred, indicated Canadians overwhelmingly want parties to work together cooperatively in government – one of the hallmarks of proportional systems. The Prime Minister had a clear path forward to reform, but in the words of his former Minister, he ‘took a pass.’
Well I’m not giving up and I hope you won’t either.
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. Call his office. Write him letters, and write letters to your local paper. Make your voice heard.
I’ll be using my voice inside the House and out, to relay the disappointment of those Canadians who took him at his word. And I will continue to fight for a fair voting system.
In the News
CPAC News: Elizabeth May Responds to Government’s Abandonment of Electoral Reform Promise
Huffington Post: Elizabeth May On Electoral Reform
TUNE IN THIS WEEK:
Saturday @ 9am & midnight – Elizabeth will be on CBC RadioOne's The House.
For more information or to listen to this episode online after it has aired click here.
Media Updates
Island Tides Article: What Trains Show Us
Island Tides Article: The Trump Inaugural Address and the Lies it Told
Flawed Mydemocracy.ca Survey Still Supports Key PR Attributes
Elizabeth Celebrates the Chinese New Year – 綠黨恭祝大家春節快樂
Statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Saanich – Gulf-Islands January 2017 Householder on Criminal Justice
Petitions
- Establish a permanent ban on crude oil tankers on the west coast of Canada to protect British Columbia's economy, fisheries, and tourism, as well as its coastal ecosystems
Read the government responses to petitions Elizabeth has introduced here
Committee Briefs
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
Upcoming Events with Elizabeth May
February 8, 2017 – Elizabeth attends the launch party for the online edition of Convivium!
February 10, 2017 – Join Elizabeth at the Sidney Spring Reading Series feat. Lorna Crozier and Patrick Lane
February 11, 2017 – Join Elizabeth at this year's Seedy Saturday on Salt Spring Island