Elizabeth May’s Week in Review – June 2, 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. 

Due to a Liberal motion earlier in the week, the House of Commons is now sitting until midnight for the remainder of the parliamentary session. This has meant a lot of very long days for Elizabeth, who remains committed to being in the House to speak to each of these issues on behalf of her constituents.  

This newsletter covers her extensive, and now often late-night, work from May 29, 2017 to June 2, 2017.

 

Key Moments in the House

Question Period

– Asking the Minister of Democratic Institutions to keep the conversation going on electoral reform

– Asking the government to step up in the wake of President Trump’s announcement on the Paris Agreement

Debate

– Fact-checking supporting arguments for the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion 

– Bill C-45 – Raising concerns regarding overly harsh punishments in the cannabis legislation

– Bill C-46 – Raising issues surrounding cannabis consumption and impaired driving legislation

– Underscoring the importance of electoral reform and significance of the Special Committee’s report

– Calling for cooperation on using MPs’ time in the House of Commons more productively and effectively

 

Electoral Reform Update – A Message from Elizabeth

Dear Friends and Supporters of Electoral Reform,

A disappointment in Parliament on Wednesday, when the Liberals used their majority to defeat a motion to accept recommendations from the Special Committee on Electoral Reform. It was a slim majority in a vote of 159-146, with two courageous Liberal MPs Nathaniel Eskine-Smith and Sean Casey voting with integrity and expressing the will of their constituents by voting in favour of the motion. All Bloc Quebecois, NDP, and Conservative MPs voted for the ERRE report.

Despite today’s defeat in Parliament, I am not giving up. I will continue to hold the government to account.  Canadians trusted the Liberal promises made to reform the unfair voting system and make every vote count – that trust is broken.  

The cross-partisan recommendations from the Special Committee on Electoral Reform offered the Liberals a roadmap to select a fair and democratic voting system, one that maintained a link between constituents and their local MPs. They now risk squandering a golden opportunity to create better government for all Canadians. 

I thank the NDP’s Nathan Cullen (MP, Skeena-Bulkley Valley) for putting forward today’s motion.

In British Columbia, thanks to the BC Greens now holding the balance of power, they will move to electoral reform. A referendum in fall of 2018 will determine which form of voting system BC will achieve.  I’m confident we will witness in British Columbia how electoral reform can change politics for the better and their success will guarantee the issue stays on the political agenda. 

The wind is in our sails and we are going to win! Electoral reform will be a reality for Canadians.

Thank you all for your continued support and engagement on this issue.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth May, OC

Member of Parliament

Saanich-Gulf Islands

Leader of the Green Party of Canada

 

Lyme Disease Framework Update 

This week, Jane Philpott, Minister of Health, tabled the Federal Framework on Lyme Disease.  You can read the framework here and watch video footage of Elizabeth’s response to the release here.

Next week, the Parliamentary Health Committee will meet to hold two hearings on Lyme Disease and the framework. These meetings will serve as yet another opportunity for patients and advocates to effect change, and will be available for viewing here.

 

In the Media

CPAC – Headline Politics:  Elizabeth May discusses the federal government’s new framework on Lyme Disease and the B.C. Green Party’s decision to support a possible B.C. NDP minority government

 

Public Statements

Statement for National Tourism Week

 

Press Releases

Donald Trump fails to understand Paris Agreement

DFO quietly cuts funding to key Pacific salmon programs

 

Petitions

Elizabeth introduced the following petitions to the government this week:

  • Ban the trade and sale of shark fins which is contributing to the rapid extinction of many species of sharks.
  • Institute a national moratorium on the practice of hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking. 
  • Address the ongoing lack of independent inquiry into the “robocalls” which took place during the 2011 election and constitued a clear violation of the Elections Act. 
  • Embrace the notion of a national AIDS strategy using the proven principle of treatment as prevention.
  • Press the People’s Republic of China to stop discrimination against the practitioners of Falun Dafa and Falun Gong.
  • Label products if they contain genetically modified organisms, so that citizens and consumers will be able to make an informed choice about the products they buy.

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

Community Newsletter

April 2017 Newsletter – Earthquake Preparedness

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

Recent Events 

Wednesday, May 17th – Elizabeth May & Nathan Cullen hosted a bipartisan event for electoral reform

Friday, May 19th – Elizabeth delivered the 2017 Robert Hunter Memorial Lecture at U of T

Saturday, May 20th – Elizabeth attended the Mayne Island Conservancy’s 12th Annual May Day Celebrations

Saturday, May 27th – Elizabeth attended the opening of (in)finite, a 60th Anniversary Exhibition by the Anglican Foundation

Walk for the Salish Sea – May 25th-29th:

Thursday, June 1st – Elizabeth jointly hosted the Turning Parliament Inside Out – Book Release

 

Upcoming Ev​ents

Sunday, June 4th – Elizabeth delivers a keynote address at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Annual Conference in Ottawa

Tuesday, June 6th – Thursday, June 8th – Elizabeth is at the United Nations in New York City as part of the Canadian Government’s delegation for the United Nations Ocean Conference

Saturday, June 17th – Elizabeth will deliver a speech at the Annual General Meeting of the Green Party of Germany

Sunday, June 25th – Join Elizabeth as she marches in the 37th annual Toronto Pride Parade

 

As always, the support of the Green Party of Canada has been invaluable in enabling Elizabeth to hold the government to account on such a large number of issues. For more information on their work, or to get involved, please visit: https://www.greenparty.ca/    

 

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