Elizabeth May’s Week in Review – May 5, 2017

May 5, 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 May 1, 2017 to May 5, 2017.

Key Moments in the House

Question Period

– As the Arctic melts, will Canada stand for firm climate action?

Debate

– Budget Implementation Act: question on the delay in public transit funding

– MP Scott Reid speaks to Elizabeth’s proposals for changing the rules of the House of Commons

Points of Order

– The continued issue of heckling in the House of Commons

Questions of Privilege

– The unequal rights of MPs from smaller parties

! Celebrating 6 years !

Last Tuesday, we celebrated 6 years since the voters of Saanich-Gulf Islands first elected Elizabeth as their Member of Parliament. An honour they bestowed on her again in the 2015 election, with 54 per cent of the vote and nearly 80 per cent voter turnout.

Accomplishments over the last six years include:

Passage of her private members bill for a Federal Lyme Disease Framework, passed unanimously in the House and Senate;
Reversing the Harper administration’s decision to close the federal research facility in Saanich-Gulf Islands, the CFIA Plant Health Centre, which in this year’s budget has been allocated $8 million in upgrades;
Presenting more amendments to legislation than any single MP in history, including leading the charge against the 2012 spring omnibus budget bill C-38;
Working consistently for climate action, holding both the Harper and Trudeau administrations to account;
Being the first MP to spot the dangers in C-51, the Harper administration’s so-called public security law;
Standing alone in 2011 as the only MP to oppose continued bombing of Libya, now widely recognized as a tragic mistake that destabilized the region and assisted the rise of ISIS;
Being the only MP to register as an intervenor before the National Energy Board and make a final argument against the Kinder Morgan pipeline;
Successful advocacy for millions of dollars of grants for firms and scientific research on southern Vancouver Island;
Dedicated work on the Special Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reform from June – November 2016, never missing a hearing or meeting, with 31,000 kilometres travelled and 60 committee meetings held;
Speaking more often than any other MP in Parliament;
Assisting over 1,000 constituents to resolve issues with the federal government;
Maintaining the commitment to consult constituents on a regular basis, holding two rounds of town hall meetings in nine locations every year, as well as Teen Town Halls in local high schools;
Developing a affordable housing round table process, convening a wide spectrum of concerned parties, including elected representatives from four municipalities, the Capital Region District, provincial government, non-government groups, real estate agents, architects, the Chamber of Commerce, developers and major local industries and employers, working collaboratively to increase housing options from low-income social housing to affordable workforce housing;
Setting a standard for decorum in Parliament, having never once heckled or interrupted outside the rules of the House.

We are extremely proud of her hard work and devotion to constituents, and hope that she will continue to have the opportunity to advocate on her their behalf for many years to come!

Articles by Elizabeth

Island Tides: Another Liberal promise about to be broken on Canada’s navigable waters?

Media Releases

Canada’s lakes and rivers will remain unprotected under weak Transport Committee recommendations

Elizabeth May pleased with C-51 committee report, but urges government to go further

Statement on Canada-U.S. softwood lumber dispute and exporting of raw logs

Press Conferences

Elizabeth joined Mike Schreiner, Leader of the Green Party of Ontario, in urging federal-provincial funding for Ontario high-speed rail.

Summary: here.

CPAC video coverage: here.

Public Statements

Statement on National Volunteer Week

Statement on Yom HaShoah

Statement on National Day of Mourning

Statement on World Press Freedom Day

Petitions

Elizabeth introduced the following petitions to the government this week:

When looking at international disasters, recognize that animal protection is part of disaster response and that the rescue of animals is essential for recovery in the wake of a disaster
Remove flavouring from all tobacco products, recognizing that they are added to target youth
Adopt a national AIDS strategy, based on the proven principle of treatment as prevention
Recognize animals as being more than property, capable of feeling pain, and move animal cruelty crimes from the property section of the Criminal Code
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