Green Caucus Week in Review 06/08-06/12

Week in Review: June 8 – 12 (le français suit)

This week, Green MPs launched Reimagining our Future: Reconnected, Renewed, Resilient, a vision for Canada’s post-pandemic future. Reimagining our Future is a bold and detailed blueprint for a sustainable and prosperous recovery that will drive Canada’s transition to a green economy and a just society. Elizabeth spoke at the press conference to launch Reimagining our Future, and all three MPs participated in a national webinar on Thursday.

In the wake of weeks of protests around the world against systemic racism and police brutality, Jenica asked the government to condemn the systemic racism within Canada’s own police force, and to commit to addressing racial profiling by the police in Canada. She also pressed for investment into community social services that would decrease reliance on police forces.

In his questions this week, Paul pressed for more help for charities and nonprofits, and people with disabilities, through expanded CPP Disability eligibility criteria and increased payments. He also asked the government to implement a Guaranteed Livable Income (GLI), a key recommendation of the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). Also regarding Indigenous communities, Paul called for the successful Community Safety Officer pilot project in the Kwanlin Dun First Nation to be taken as an example for the rest of the country.

On Wednesday, the Liberals brought forward a new Bill, C-17, to accomplish four things; expand the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS); suspend or extend various time limits in legislation that can’t be met because of COVID-19; make a one-time payment to people with disabilities who receive the disability tax credit; and create retroactive penalties to punish those receiving CERB but who are ineligible. In her questions, Elizabeth called for the disability payments to be expanded beyond a one time payment and to reach those who do not receive the disability tax credit even though they are on disability benefits. She took a strong stance against the punitive approach to the CERB arguing it should be transitioned more towards a GLI.

After months of parties working together collaboratively, partisanship resurfaced. C-17 lacked unanimous consent to move forward, and even a compromise motion focusing solely on disability payments was shot down by the Conservatives. In the end, no new legislation was passed this week.

On Wednesday evening Paul hosted an online Community Conversation with Chris “Farmer” Brown, an agricultural activist, urban farmer and educator in Nanaimo. They had an in-depth conversation about the challenges and opportunities of local food security. Next week Paul will be talking to Chris Beaton, executive director of the Nanaimo Aboriginal Centre, and Joy Bremner, board president of the Mid-Island Metis Nation, about National Indigenous People’s Day and the impacts of COVID-19 on the urban Indigenous community.